The Curse of Blood
by Frostbreaker
Summary: The universe has fallen to darkness, and the shadows are seeking to snuff out the very last of the light. However, one single star burns brighter and stronger than the rest, with the power to overthrow the blackness that chokes life from the universe. Soon however, that light will find that not everything is black and white...there are infinite shades of gray.
1. Ch 1: Echoes

**A/N: First story of this category, simply because it's a passion of mine from my youth and even adulthood...and I'd like to see if it's possible to get this idea going. There is so much potential, so I'm going to see what I can do with it. I know for a fact that the focus group for this is going to be small in comparison to my other stories, but I feel I can still make something great out of it. As always, please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Echoes

* * *

_Blood is not important._

_It does not decide who we are, what we are, or what we do._

_Our origins hold no more power over us than words of ignorance, __and as such, only the ignorant are affected._

_The choice of being always rests with us._

_-Gray Voice, Cir. 4022 GA_

* * *

_Dear Samus,_

_The eons have been unkind to our people._

_In our arrogance, we sought to control the aspects of our universe, to force them to bend to our will in an effort to control existence itself. It was not until much time had passed that we realized our folly...our foolishness. There are simply some things we cannot change, and the path the universe is set on is much more powerful than even the wisest of our people. I have done many things in my time on this side of reality that I was ashamed of, and much more that I felt I could have done differently...but there is one act and one person I felt I guided correctly..._

_You._

_You are the very best of what our people strive to be: wise, kind, and powerful, with a strong sense of righteousness._

_I fear that when you read this, my time will be past, but I hope with everything I am that it will bring you some semblance of peace, and will confirm to you exactly how important you are to our people...to me. Your life is destined to be difficult, as there is a growing darkness in the cosmos that I feel only you can force back, but know that I have complete faith in you. A human though you may have once been, you are now much more than that, and not simply because of the blood that runs in your veins._

_Many times in your early life, I feared for you. Your anger and thirst for vengeance threatened to blacken your pure heart, turning it into an inferno, covered with stone, and I fear that in your anger and hatred, you may have spoke some words that you will regret. Know that you are forgiven, and that I understand more than you know the anger and pain carried by the loss of a loved one. Know that even for the "mighty" Chozo, such pain and grieving is natural. Know also that Old Bird and I do not blame you for leaving as you did. Every hatchling must at some point leave the nest to seek out their own place in the universe, no matter what that may be._

_Know only that we will always be watching, in this realm or the next._

_You are precious among our people, more than you may ever realize. Where there was darkness, you brought light. Where there was doubt, you brought hope. Where there was weakness, you brought strength. Even as I write this to you, songs of your legend flow from the hatchlings and young warriors as an unending stream of praise for your deeds. Though vengeance may have given you initial motive, I sense that your will has changed._

_I sense justice._

_Never lose that aspect, Samus...it is your greatest strength. Though my body will wither and die soon, I shall always be watching you and guiding you._

_Live well, my daughter._

_Gray Voice_

* * *

Eyes as blue and luminous as the blue stars of the cluster in Sector 446 glistened with tears. In those eyes shone strength and a desire for justice...but more recently, they shone with loneliness.

Shoulder-length blonde hair draped over the neck of the universe's most feared bounty-hunter in existence, but right now she was not a bounty hunter...she was a broken heart, screaming in agony at the loss of her only family. There was no one to grieve with and no one to talk to, only her thoughts and emotions that swirled in a maelstrom of pain and grief.

It was times like this Samus wondered just why she did it anymore ‒ this seemingly never-ending battle. What was the point? There would _always_ be darkness in the universe, and more recently it had been found among the Federation itself.

"_No, I can't think like that."_ she reminded herself. _"If I don't fight, no one will. The day might come when I don't have to fight anymore, when I'm not _needed_ anymore...but it's not today."_ She gazed back to the holographic plaque she had been reading and nodded sternly. _"Gray Voice and Old Bird trusted me to do what's right. I'm not going to let their trust be misplaced."_

"What's bothering you, Lady?" asked a robotic voice from the ships onboard computer.

The battle-hardened woman sighed sadly and tapped the plaque in her hands. "Just saying goodbye to an old friend, Adam."

"Older than me?" the voice asked curiously.

She smiled and nodded. "Oh yeah..._much_ older. Try six-thousand years older."

"Wow...guy's got some years on him." the robotic CO responded smugly.

The bounty hunter nodded with a smile, remembering that perhaps she wasn't _completely_ alone in the universe. That reminded her of...

"Adam, have you heard anything from Anthony recently?" she asked in concern.

A few whirs and beeps from the console in front of her caused a holoscreen to appear, and with it, a list of digital messages. "Yes actually, about twelve hours ago."

She raised her eyebrow and asked, "Why didn't you notify me?"

"I imagined it would be better to leave you alone for the time being...you needed your own space, so I ran ship diagnostics and repaired your suit." Adam responded with an implied smile.

Samus smiled as well and answered. "Thank you. So what did Anthony send?"

"I think perhaps you should listen to the message yourself...it's rather important." the CO responded.

She nodded and pressed her finger to the hologram, causing a video screen to appear, and on it, a familiar dark-skinned man with a bright smile.

"Hey there, Samus!" the man responded jovially. "Hope everything's alright on your end. Things in the Federation have been pretty quiet up until now, so there wasn't much to report. However, I think you might want to have a look at what I found." The screen flashed and showed the schematics of a large research station. "This is the BSL X-4 station...and I'm betting you just cringed." True, the woman indeed flinched at the mention of it, remembering the horrors she was forced to endure, as well as her binding with the DNA of a metroid. "Anyway," the voice continued, "I thought you might want to take a look at things...do a little vigilante work. The reason why is because they're tampering with genetics there. You know, the whole 'playing God' thing. The station is not in any sort of catastrophe or anything, but it is pretty isolated...all the research and everything is held there. This is a Class-S Top Secret facility...meaning it's likely most of the higher ups in the Federation don't even know about it. It's also completely automated, so there's no one even on board. Seems they learned more from the one you destroyed." The pictures changed to another schematic, showing a detailed map of the entire facility. "My only guess as to why the place isn't heavily guarded or even monitored is because they'd never believe in a million years that someone would be that big of an asshole as to purposefully destroy the place...but I have a feeling you might know someone that feels otherwise." Samus smiled at this as Anthony's face again appeared on the screen along with a miniature map beside him. A blinking spot appeared on the map as he continued with, "The main research project is contained here, on the primary research deck. I'll leave you to figure out what you want to do with it. After that, the main controls are also located there. There's also a self-destruct sequence for the entire station that can be activated and deactivated remotely, so in order to keep those bastard researchers from stopping you, you'll need to kill the uplink somehow first. Beyond that, it's just a snatch-and-dash mission: get in, get out..._fast_. The automated defense systems are going to pick up on you pretty quick, so be discreet and be speedy." The small map then disappeared and showed Anthony in full size again. "I know you got this Samus, but I'll say it anyway: be safe. Send me a message on the encrypted channel with the results you have afterward. Take care of yourself, princess." With that, the message ended.

Samus smiled to herself before asking, "Where are we headed, Adam?"

Another hologram appeared in front of the woman as the CO spoke. "We're headed to the Zeta Sector, coordinates 1249.22, 604.90, level four."

"Wow," the woman responded with a smile, "that's right next to Aether. Maybe I should drop in on U-Mos...see how they're doing after all this time."

"Do you think they'll remember you?" the computer asked curiously.

Samus chuckled lightly. "It's only been ten years, Adam. That's like the blink of an eye for the Luminoth. I'm sure they'll be really happy to see me. Besides, I'd like to see them again now that they're not all fighting the Ing."

"Seventy years old and you still look not a day over twenty." the computerized CO responded with a tone that "smiled".

The blonde-haired warrior gasped in mock-shock and smiled. "Adam Malkovich, are you flirting with me?"

A robotic sigh emanated from the console as it responded, "If only I had my own body again."

Samus smiled before leaning back in her chair. "Alright, we have work to do now. Adam, take us to our destination please."

"On it, Lady. I'll take care of the travel, you go get some sleep. We'll arrive in about eight hours, give or take for spatial disturbances." the CO responded.

Samus stood and made her way to her personal quarters, laying down on the bed to sleep. Her mind wandered once more to her adoptive family as she smiled gently. She knew she was doing the right thing...this is what Gray Voice would have wanted. He trusted her sense of judgement, and because of that, she did as well.

One last tear fell from her eye as she closed her eyes and rested, content that she was administering justice.


	2. Ch 2: The Light

**A/N: Here comes Chapter 2 for ya! Please R&R and enjoy.**

**To AuthorShax - Well Samus as a whole has been rather mysterious, so it's something I've wanted to do for awhile. Hope you enjoy!**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The Light

* * *

_Just as there is fear, there is also courage...in equal amounts._

_To submit to fear is to die, but to have naught but courage is to be arrogant, __which also leads to death._

_Even the greatest of warriors has fears, just as the most cowardly can find courage._

_To let either attribute define us, however, is dangerous and foolish._

_This is the way of enlightenment, the way of the Chozo._

_We place our trust in the Newborn, in hopes that she will instill courage in those that fear the darkness, and instill fear into the shadows themselves._

_May the light of wisdom always guide her._

_-Gray Voice, Cir. 4012 GA_

* * *

"Samus...we have arrived." stated the loud voice of the ship's computer.

The blonde bounty-hunter rolled her shoulders and opened her eyes, enjoying the feel of her rejuvenated body and relaxed muscles. She pressed the button on the inside of her sleep chamber and waited for the glass door to open, then stepped out and stretched before looking to the ceiling of her quarters. "Adam, I'm going to take a quick shower, so I'll be in the cockpit in a few minutes."

"It's been days since your last one, so that would be a good idea." quipped the voice of her CO.

Samus simply grumbled before entering a small washroom and closing herself within the automated cleaning machine. Though efficient, the "shower" was very..._thorough_, with independently moving jets of water that literally cleaned every inch of her, sterilizing her entire skin's surface while still maintaining its natural acidity.

A few minutes later the woman left the room, grumbling, "It always feels like I was just violated when I go in there. At least the Federation's medics have soft hands."

She then pressed the insignia on her left hand with the index from her right, and felt as the skintight tri-colored bodysuit wrapped itself around her. Neo-threads of blue, cobalt, and yellow trailed around her fingers, back, and chest, quickly covering every inch of skin in a comfortable, insulated covering. She sighed as she felt the suit connect with her skin's nervous system, and smiled as she felt the breathable neo-fabric ventilate her entire body, keeping her cool.

"To this day, I never thought the feeling of nakedness could be so liberating." she commented to herself.

"If you're done being pseudo-naked, we have work to do." replied the CO.

Samus pouted and answered, "Aw, you're no fun."

"My excitability with the female form left with my physical body, no matter how desirable it is." Adam responded gruffly.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Fine fine. So how goes our approach?"

As Samus took her seat in the pilot's chair, a multitude of different diagnostics appeared onscreen. "Speed and rate of descent is steady. I've already sent our security codes to the planet's defense systems, so as long as the Luminoth haven't suddenly become a hostile race, all should be fine."

"And the weather?" the bounty hunter asked worriedly.

A robotic sigh sounded from the air as the CO responded, "There are no dimensional energy storms, if that's what you're asking. The Light of Aether is still flowing strong, and my preliminary scans show that the life forms upon the surface are primarily Luminoth, with native life present as well. No corruption appears to be present."

Samus let out a sigh of relief as she looked over the different pieces of information. "Good. Just wanted to be sure is all."

Just then, the communicator array sounded an alert.

"We are being hailed by the planet, Samus. Onscreen." advised the computer.

A video screen appeared in front of her, and the picture phased into the visage of a younger Luminoth warrior. "State your name, rank or title, and business here, friendly."

The Hunter smiled and replied, "Samus Aran, Hunter. Personal visit to reconcile with some friends."

The Lumnoth's green eyes widened just a bit as it asked, "Samus Aran? _The_ Samus Aran?"

"I don't personally know of any others." the woman replied smugly.

The warrior bowed slightly before responding. "It is a pleasure. No doubt you are here to meet with Sentinel U-Mos, yes?"

Samus smiled. "If it isn't any trouble."

"Not at all." the Luminoth responded. "Without the Ing to plague Aether, there is not much for the Sentinel to do other than guide the rebuilding process and assist in research. I will send the coordinates to the landing dock, which is just outside the Great Temple. The Sentinel will be notified of your arrival, and he will await you in the Chamber of Light of the temple. All security forces will also be notified so as to make your stay here comfortable and without hassle."

The bounty-hunter smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Coordinates received...I'm beginning my final approach."

Samus then turned away from the video screen and flexed her left hand, causing the insignia upon the back of it to flash as the modified Chozo powersuit began to materialize on her body. The powerful arm cannon appeared on her right arm, and the visor covered her head last as she opened her eyes and viewed the ship's cabin through her advanced HUD.

"Adam, are you synced?" asked Samus as she flexed her left hand.

"100%, Samus. Shielding is at full capacity, all primary systems engaged, with auxiliary on standby. Varia suit online." the voice spoke within her helmet.

Samus nodded with a smile. "Good. Engage neural net synchronization and download current suit customization protocols from ship drive. Keep weapon systems in standby mode."

"Understood, Samus. Standby for neural net synchronization..." the CO replied. It was then that Samus felt a small electric jolt to the back of her neck, along with a transition of her conscious body from her own skin to the powerful exoskeleton that now covered her body. She felt as if it were a second skin to her, and its sensations reflected this. Experimentally, she tapped her arm cannon upon her chest, and felt as if she were tapping her own sternum. After a few moments, a small beep sounded and the computer added, "Suit synchronization complete. You're all set, Samus."

The blonde Hunter nodded within her helmet and smiled. "Thank you, Adam. Keep an eye on the situation of the planet, and let me know if any distress-"

"I got it, Samus...the usual. You act as if I've never done this before. Apparently you forget, I was literally _trained_ to do this, even as a human. I have everything under control." the CO interrupted in annoyance. A few seconds passed as a slight jolt shook the ship. "Alright, landing sequence complete. Scans of the air reveal it is indeed breathable, with all corruption particles having been removed from the air. Radiation is negligible at best. It appears completely safe."

She smiled and pressed the button upon her airlock, depressurizing the interior with a hiss of air and causing the platform she was on to lower slowly to the ground. As a sign of respect and trust, Samus removed her helmet and breathed in the clean air, relishing the crisp smell that flowed into her nose and lungs, along with the overall fresh smell to the temple grounds. She then headed towards the large elevator tube and entered the hologram, waiting patiently as the platform warmed up. Then, the motor fired and quickly ascended.

* * *

As the elevator locked into place, Samus stepped off of it and fired a low-energy shot at the door, opening it into the main temple.

She was pleased to see the area was not empty, as it was the last time she had been on this planet. Instead, a great many Luminoth, both male and female, young and old, were milling about in the main chamber. Some recognized her from her last visit and waved, while others eyed her with curiousness, but none feared her. Samus was beside herself with how nice it felt to be accepted and even welcomed among such a powerful and wise race of people. She smiled warmly once before making her way to the small elevator that led to the Chamber of Light.

The elevator ride was rather short and quiet, and when she arrived at the top, it was to find the soft hum and harmonious sounds of the Light of Aether, the very life force of the planet itself. As she opened the door that separated her from the chamber, she was greeted with warm air and a soft breeze, caressing her skin and hair and making her feel completely at ease. It was one of the few times since her childhood on Zebes that she felt truly at peace, and she reveled in the feeling.

"Samus." spoke a young, bright voice, sounding like it was the auditory companion to light.

The Hunter looked up at the planet's guardian and smiled as she placed her left hand across her chest and bowed slightly. "U-Mos."

She rose and saw the crimson eyes of the Luminoth sentinel "smiling" at her, and he returned the customary gesture of bowing. As he stood tall again, he nodded towards her. "You have finally returned to my home in peacetime, I see. How does it look to you?"

Samus smiled warmly and answered, "Amazing. True there is still much structural work to be done, but what is most amazing is to see your people out and about, in peace. There was just something so fundamentally wrong with war on this planet...it's too beautiful for that."

U-Mos nodded as he looked out over the landscape. "I agree, but the people have endured, and the planet is much hardier than the people are. Because of your efforts, the planet is strong, and the Energy Transfer Module is placed under lock and key, so that the past cannot be repeated."

The Hunter smiled for a moment before her eyes widened and she looked down at her helmet momentarily. "You're speaking my language, U-Mos."

Again he "smiled" and gestured to her. "The Federation was kind enough to send cleanup crews to salvage their equipment and resources, and it was in our best interest to at least keep an open connection with them, no matter how tenuous. It need not be said that learning the language of the race we are speaking to is a rather powerful sign of good will."

At the mention of the Federation, Samus cringed just slightly...and U-Mos noticed.

"I assume you are not on the best terms with the Federation, are you?" he asked with concern.

Samus grumbled, "I almost wish I'd had my helmet on."

U-Mos shook his head warily. "I would have noticed nonetheless, Samus...psionics, remember?"

"Right..." she deadpanned. She sighed and lowered her eyes to the ground. "Let it simply be said that theres a lot that's happened since we've last met, and I've noticed more and more that where I once found light, there's now nothing but shadows around every corner. The only two humans I can trust are Anthony and Adam...and Adam isn't even a normal human anymore."

The Sentinel nodded slowly as he made his way over to the human female. "I imagine it must be rather difficult to lose faith in your race."

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "Yes...it's cost me more than I'd care to think about, and even cost me my last piece of normality as well. Their experiments and need to use me has turned me into an odd mix of alien DNA, phazon, and what used to be a normal human woman." She then gestured to herself. "I mean look at me, I'm almost eighty. By my age, I should be wasting away, not fighting the most dangerous beings the universe has ever known." Suddenly, decades of repressed emotions surged forth, and she couldn't stop the words. "I'm supposed to be a great-grandmother enjoying sitting in a rocking chair, drinking iced tea and watching old movies on television. Instead, I'm _still_ the most dangerous living thing in the galaxy, possibly the universe, and have the spring in my step of a teenager." She finally caught herself and went silent, much to her embarrassment, but the words had already been said.

U-Mos nodded slowly. "And is that stereotypical life what you truly want?"

The female warrior thought for a moment before shaking her head with a frown. "No. I love what I do, and it is one of the few things that gives me a sense of purpose...and _that's_ what bothers me about it." She chuckled darkly. "I mean, what human _woman_ wants to kill the scum of the galaxy all her life? I'm not even human anymore, and honestly, I don't think that has anything to do with the metroid and Chozo DNA in my body, nor the scars left from Metroid Prime."

"Then why does it bother you so much?" the Luminoth asked knowingly.

"Because it's not _normal_." Samus growled.

U-Mos nodded slowly before kneeling down before her and placing a hand gently on her armored shoulder. "Samus, I apologize if this sounds callous, but your life is far from normal because _you_ are not normal." The young Sentinel then chuckled. "You were considered a daughter by a Chozo high priest...do you have _any idea _the sheer power of that title? The Chozo themselves are considered the most powerful, intelligent, and wise beings in the cosmos, even by my people. To simply be considered _friend_ by one is a vast accomplishment." He then moved his hand over her chest. "But you? You were _family_...to all of them. Though different people mine may be, the strength of the bonds of family trump the strength of friendship _every time_." The Luminoth then removed his hand and stared right into her eyes. "With all that being the case, I can say that you are not _meant_ to 'fit in' with humans. You are a Chozo...perhaps not by form, but by blood and spirit. You are a part of a race that is revered by nearly the entire galaxy...even the darkness _fears_ them...fears _you_."

Samus thought for a moment before looking to the Sentinel and smiling. "Thank you, U-Mos. You've given me perspective."

The Luminoth nodded as he stood. "Now, it is not as if I do not enjoy your presence here, but I assume that you were not simply 'passing by', yes?"

The bounty hunter nodded. "You're correct. Nearby is a Federation research facility that's specializing in genetic experimentation on a scale that is likely to be considered an abomination."

Samus knew that the Luminoth as a whole were not a race who took tampering with the sanctity of life lightly, and she knew this would strike true with the Sentinel.

U-Mos' eye twitched before he answered, "Our people will not interfere. If it is truly what you believe, you have my full authorization to wipe that blight from the galaxy, and any like it in the area."

Samus smiled and nodded. "Thank you Sentinel, I'll leave immediately. If it all goes the way it should, that place should be gone within the week. I'll come back and let you know when it's finished."

U-Mos nodded and gestured to the door. "May the Light of Aether guide you, Samus Aran."

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Samus was again seated in the command seat of her ship, and Adam noticed her cheery demeanor.

"So," the CO began, "_you_ seem in a better mood."

The woman smiled as she deactivated her powersuit, and it vanished in a flash of green light. "Yes actually, I am. Let's just say that I've gained a lot of perspective thanks to U-Mos."

"It's good to have friends among the Luminoth, eh?" Adam responded jovially.

The Hunter nodded with a smile. "It is. Feels like I have a second home here." Her eyes then flashed with determination. "Alright, enough downtime. We need to get this done. Take us to the BSL X-4." The engines of the ship hummed to life, and Samus allowed herself a smile with renewed vigor as she headed towards her objective.

* * *

The ship exited hyperspace and began to slow as it approached the research station, which was housed within a dwarf planet of unknown origin...small enough to not cause damage to Aether when destroyed. The gunship's onboard CO quickly hacked the access codes for the station, allowing Samus to safely land in the dock undetected.

Upon docking, Samus again donned her powersuit and stood. "Alright Adam, I'm going to try and do this quick and unseen, but if things get ugly, we might end up a little banged up on the way out."

"Nothing we're not used to." the computer responded. "Alright, so here are your objectives: 1)Locate the main research deck. 2)Disable the uplink to the ship. 3)Destroy or escape with the primary research subject...I'll leave discretion up to you. 4)Set the self-destruct sequence in motion and escape the station. Any objections Lady?"

Samus grinned and shook her head. "No sir, I think that's all. Will uplink to the station and download map data at the first terminal I can find." She then pressed the button on the hatch and allowed the platform to lower to the ground. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Just another day at work."


	3. Ch 3: Born of Darkness

**A/N: As some of you already know, Frost is out of the country at the moment, so I'll be posting his chapters, as per his request. You can simply call me "Jennie"...yes, that one. He asks that you please read and review to let him know what you think.**

**To AuthorShax - Simply look up a picture in deviantART or Google. They're not hard to find, and it will allow you to envision the story much easier.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Born of Darkness

"I don't like this." Samus whispered from within her helmet. "I've been in here for almost twenty minutes already and the most dangerous thing I've seen is a spot of what looks like oil on the floor."

"That's dangerous?" Adam asked with a hint of mirth.

Samus rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. If this place is really as important as Anthony says it is, there should be a _ton_ of defense systems. The only one I've come across so far is an easily-bypassable retina scanner. It doesn't make sense to me."

"I agree." her CO responded warily. "Keep your guard up."

"Yes sir." the Hunter responded softly.

Samus kept her head on a swivel, checking the hallways for any sort of danger. Much to her annoyance and growing paranoia, there wasn't any.

"Samus..." a soft voice broke her thoughts. "I think I may have found why there's no danger around here." Samus was about to speak, but Adam interrupted her with, "Get to the data uplink system, right now. It's about a thousand paces ahead of you."

The woman didn't respond, and only took off running, blasting the door in front of her with her Power Beam, then running inside and thrusting her arm cannon into the link device. Her suit quickly hacked the protocols installed within the station's system and downloaded the map.

After a few seconds of going through the new data, her mouth dropped open. "No..."

"Yes." Adam responded softly. "Silent self-destruct has been activated. There's no alarms because there's no one to warn...and you only have about seven minutes to deactivate it, but there's another problem."

"Of _course_ there is." Samus growled softly.

Adam ignored her comment and continued. "The remote uplink device is sixty floors below you...there's no way you'd get there even if you used your Speed Booster the entire way."

Samus sighed and punched the wall in front of her. "So that's it then...we came here for nothing."

"Well...I do have _one_ idea, but you're not going to like it." her CO responded with an implied grin.

"Time's a-wasting, Adam. Quit skirting around the idea and just tell me." Samus growled.

"Alright," the virtual CO began, "well here's what the situation is: as I said, there's no way that you'd get down there in time to deactivate the self-destruct...not if you took the elevators and everything."

"So..." Samus urged.

"So," Adam began again, his demeanor more optimistic now, "you're not. You're going to take a little run along the rocky surface of the station."

Samus nearly choked on the air she was breathing. "I-is that even safe?"

"Define 'safe'." Adam deadpanned.

"Right..." she responded with a wry grin.

"Anyway, this station is large and dense enough that coupled with its own gravity, your Gravity Suit function will provide you with more than enough usable gravity to allow you to safely make your way to your destination...but therein lies another problem. The atmosphere is nearly non-existent...and with this being the dark side of the station, it's only 70K out there. You're going to have to keep your Speed Booster running the entire time you're out there. Stop for more than a few seconds, and you'll freeze solid. The friction provided from you running through the 'air' will provide enough warmth for you to survive." Adam then brought up the map in Samus' visor, and a point on it began blinking with a small waypoint next to it. "The waypoint is your exit to the surface. A safety door will slam shut behind you when you burst through the wall, so don't worry about it damaging the station...and the same will happen at your re-entry point. Your point of re-entry is about eight miles away, so get moving. Remember, _don't stop_ until you get back inside."

Samus nodded without another word and activated her Gravity Suit function, and ran to the end of the hallway to give herself room. She then sprinted, using both her Chozo strength and Powersuit technology to increase her speed. The boosters on her back activated, and suddenly she burst through the wall and into the cold darkness of the station's surface. From there, she did not stop, already feeling the crushing cold. She ran faster than she ever had before, and thankfully, Adam had been right...the running was warming her up.

'_Just seven miles to go...'_ Samus thought grimly.

* * *

Three minutes later, Samus burst through the wall within the radio tower of the station, and a safety door slammed shut behind her, locking out the cold exterior air. She stood and brushed the ice crystals off her arm and reestablished contact with her CO.

"Adam, I'm in. Where's the uplink?" she nearly shouted as she caught her breath.

"Two floors down and at the end of the hall. Unfortunately, you _have_ to take elevators to get there...there's no other way. _Hurry_ Samus, you've got just under three minutes left!" urged the voice of her mentor.

She nodded and took off running, activating the elevator's controls from afar as she ran, causing the doors to open just as she arrived at them. She quickly stepped inside and pressed the button for Deck 2, and felt as the elevator hummed as it suddenly dropped through the shaft.

Samus waited, impatiently tapping her foot as the agonizingly slow elevator made its way to her destination.

After nearly a minute, the elevator arrived and the doors opened, and the Hunter within wasted no time in sprinting down the corridor and towards the door at the end of the hall. She held her cannon in front of her and blasted the door, and it opened to allow her to run through...but leaving her with no idea how to handle things.

"Alright Adam, I'm here. What do I do?" Samus asked anxiously.

"You need to destroy the entire console..._not_ with the Plasma Beam though. Heat on that scale will cause a chain reaction that will make the explosives detonate." Adam answered. "So, you need to freeze them. Activate your Ice Beam and Wave Beam and freeze everything in here...then smash the main console. In doing that, you'll have successfully disabled the remote uplink, and the self-destruct sequence will halt. Hurry up, you have under a minute left."

She nodded and pressed a few buttons on the outside of her arm cannon, selecting her Ice Beam and Wave Beam, and once both were active, she began firing at everything in the room in bursts of power. Both weapons did their job well, and after just a few seconds, the entire room looked as if it belonged in a winter wonderland. Samus then wasted no time in using her enhanced strength to bring her right heel down upon the main console, followed by her arm cannon and her left heel. The wires were frozen and brittle, so much that they simply fell apart when struck, and the metal of the console fractured as if it were glass.

After a few seconds of this, Samus sat against the wall with a loud sigh. "Alright Adam, I got it...the console's destroyed."

"Well done Samus," the CO praised, "you did a great job."

Samus took a deep breath and stood again, frowning as she thought. "What the hell could be so important that the research group would rather destroy this place than try and protect it?"

"Something that they never want the light of day to see." Adam responded grimly. "Alright...the remote uplink is disabled now, so all you have to do is make your way to the primary research deck and find the research subject. Regardless of what you plan to do with it, after that you need to manually activate the self-destruct sequence and set the timer to allow yourself enough time to escape."

She nodded with a smile. "Sounds good, sir...although if you don't mind, I think I'll take the scenic route this time. I'm still having trouble feeling my feet after that mad dash on the surface."

Adam laughed heartily. "Well you're more than welcome to do that, Lady. I should remind you that you're still sixty stories below the surface, and even with one of the three elevators you have to take is jet-powered, you're still in for quite a long trek. Tread lightly, someone knows you're here. There's no telling what else might be in store for you. Perhaps whoever it is doesn't know it's _you_, but they know _someone_ is tampering with this station. Stay alert and accomplish the mission."

"Will do, Adam. Entering the Communications Room elevator shaft now." she advised. The Hunter then pressed the button on the panel, and the motor roared to life, taking her up.

* * *

"I never want to see another elevator shaft for as long as I live." Samus grumbled as she stepped through the open doors and onto the primary research deck.

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad." Adam prodded.

Samus growled. "I've been through drain pipes in my Morph Ball, and once spent an entire week in a cave too small to lay down in, waiting for Old Bird to find me. _Nothing_ gave me claustrophobia until _now_. I _hate_ elevators."

The CO chuckled and said, "Well as soon as you retrieve or destroy the research subject and set the station to detonate, you can leave...and then you can be done with this place for good."

"I can definitely get behind that plan." Samus answered with a smile. "Well, let's get to this research deck and get the hell out of here."

The armor-clad woman quickly made her way through the corridors of the research deck, not wasting any time. By her count, this would be the fourth time she'd been somewhere she didn't like, having people she didn't know try to kill her. She was in a hurry to complete her mission and destroy this wretched place.

As Samus turned to the next hallway however, she froze. Something didn't feel right, and a moment later she found out why.

Upon the HUD in her visor, the Hunter noticed some sort of projectile heading her way, and with the practiced reflexes of a warrior, she jumped into the air and off the wall, dodging a large shot of plasma. Upon landing, her head swiveled to the right and she saw what attacked her. It was a large security bot, apparently the last line of defense within the station, assuming the self-destruct protocol failed. The machine was shaped into the form of a humanoid, with twin cannons on each arm instead of hands, and large ball bearings attached to the legs instead of feet. Twin boosters were on its back, and its head was a blank shield of what looked like glass. Samus quickly activated her visor to scan for any weak points, but was forced to dodge behind the wall again as the machine began to chase her, firing its powerful cannons the entire time.

"For fuck's sake, who built this thing?" she growled under her breath.

"The Federation knows that you'd do something like this." Adam responded calmly. "I'll bet they designed it with you in mind. It's a 'Samus-hunter', if you will. As fast and as strong as you, but it lacks your experience and judgement. You can beat it, Samus...just focus."

"Right." the bounty hunter responded softly. She then took a deep breath and focused on her target. "Alright you overgrown toaster, let's dance."

Samus dashed directly at the machine, and dropped onto her back and slid underneath its counter of twin beams of plasma. She activated her own Plasma Beam and jumped off the ground and over the mech, charging her beam. When it was fully charged she released the blast directly at its chest...but an energy shield deflected the blast away.

"Shit." she cursed. "Any ideas Adam?"

"You're not going to be able to do anything to it until you disable that shield, and I'd bet money that's where its 'vitals' are." the computerized CO replied hurriedly. "Switch to your ice beam and try and freeze its arms so it can't fire at you, and then try and use the grappler to rip that shield unit off."

Samus switched her beam accordingly, then charged and fired a shot directly at one of its arms...but this also was deflected.

"Use the Wave Beam variant you found on Tallon IV. Overload its shielding systems." Adam suggested.

The warrior complied and changed her weapon yet again, and just as she hoped it would, the electric shot was absorbed by the energy shield.

"You know what? I'm sick of this. Time to fry, 'bot." Samus growled. While dodging the multiple plasma shots from her opponent, she charged up her Wave Beam to full capacity, then used her right index finger to hit the missile button within her arm cannon, which caused a large steady stream of deadly electricity to seek out and attack the enemy, breaking through its shield in a matter of moments, and then overloading its systems, causing it to fall to the ground in a smoking heap of metal. Samus stepped closer and latched her grappler onto the chest shield and ripped it off, then charged her Plasma Beam and released a white-hot stream of molten energy at the chest, incinerating and destroying it.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Adam commented. "That was your Wave Buster ability...I didn't even know you still had that."

"Just because I don't use it often doesn't mean I don't keep it in the suit's databanks." Samus responded with a grin. "Just like today, I never know when I'm going to need it." She then chuckled. "C'mon Adam, you're supposed to be the one of higher thought here."

"Even computers make mistakes, Lady. You've been privy to that before, I beleive." the CO responded cooly.

Samus shuddered and kicked the smoking debris away from her before making her way down the corridor and to the main research vault, where the subject was supposed to be.

* * *

A small sphere dropped out of a hole in the ceiling, and when it landed, it reassembled into the armored form of Samus. She looked around cautiously, noticing that multiple containment tanks were on display.

As she eyed the specimens within the tanks, she grimaced. "What were they doing here? This is wrong on a level I've never seen before."

"New objective, Samus." Adam stated sternly. "I want you to access the research database and download their notes and findings. At the very least, we could use it for some leverage in a jam."

She nodded before walking over to a computer kiosk and using her left hand to type commands on the keypad. With Adam's prompts, she broke through the multiple layers of security within a few minutes, and then looked at all the data.

"By all that's holy...they were experimenting with human and alien DNA here." Samus breathed in shock. She snapped her left index finger and thumb, and a small cord snaked its way out from the thumb. She connected it to the computer and began the download process.

"So what do you think they'll do next?" the computer within her helmet asked.

Samus shrugged as she watched the computer's download progress bar. "After something like this, I wouldn't be surprised if they started experimenting on live humans. This is beyond what I ever thought possible."

The computer beeped once and her CO added, "Download complete, Samus. Alright, records show that the subject should be in the high-security tank to your right, through the doors."

The Hunter nodded before disconnecting from the computer and readying her weapons, unsure of what to expect. She slowly made her way to the door marked "HS-0332" and broke down the door with a single kick, revealing the glowing green tank before her. As she inched closer, she held her cannon up ahead of her, just in case the subject had been loosed or something...

But her paranoia was unfounded.

The subject was still within the stabilizing fluid of the tank...but it was nothing like she expected.

It was humanoid in form, not much larger than her, and had the basic body of a human...however, that was where similarities ended. The skin was heavily plated with what looked like chitinous armor, and was a deep violet. Large clawed hands with only four digits took the place of human hands, and reptilian-esque clawed feet replaced the soft human appendages. The head was angular, with an elongated mandible structure and an elongated cranium, ending in a slight point.

It was the large dragon-like wings that completely confirmed Samus' suspicions though.

"Ridley?!" she nearly choked out.

"Why couldn't they experiment with the DNA of something cuddly and harmless...like a puppy?" Adam asked in exacerbation. He sighed and said, "Well...that's that I guess. Start the self-destruct sequence and get to the ship."

Samus' brain was still frozen from the realization of what this subject was, but her body moved to follow the order. Seemingly in a daze, she began to type in the detonation codes to the computer, and pressed the button to start the procedure, giving herself nearly ten minutes to exit. Just as she was about to leave the room, however, she stopped and looked back at the tank.

"Samus, let's go. Seven minutes was cutting it close last time, don't tempt fate twice." Adam warned.

The Hunter stood frozen for a moment before slowly making her way to the tank and using the terminal to drain the fluid and open it. "I can't leave it behind..."

"Samus, I know I said that I was leaving how to handle the subject up to you, but are you sure? Ridley has only been your greatest enemy your _entire_ _life_. Even that clone of it on the Bottle Ship seemed to have an intense hatred for you. I'm just not sure this is a good idea." the CO responded cautiously.

Samus shook her head with a sigh. "I'm living proof that _what_ we are doesn't make us _who_ we are. If it is in fact a danger, I'll deal with it myself...but it might have memories, or even dreams."

"Are you going soft on me Lady?" Adam asked curiously.

Samus shook her head again. "Just trying to think like my people would...with wisdom and good judgement." She watched as the test subject fell to the floor within the chamber, and she stepped over and picked it up over her shoulder, noting that it was quite a bit heavier than she assumed. "Gray Voice once told me that when a life is in my hands, to think of the life. Well this life hasn't attacked me yet, and until it does, I don't hold any grudge against it. Prepare the medical bay on the ship...we need to find out as much about this thing as possible before we can take care of it."

Adam sighed and did as he was asked. "I hope you know what you're doing, Samus. Alright, medical bay is being set up for it. Get out of there and let's get clear of the station."

Samus nodded once again before setting off in a soft jog towards the docking bay.

* * *

"C'mon Samus, time's ticking." the ship's computer warned.

The unarmored woman nodded as she strapped the new passenger down on the medical table. "I know, I just want to be sure that it doesn't sustain injuries just from the takeoff."

"If its DNA is half Ridley's it'll be fine. It can die at your hands at _least_ four more times before it would be in danger of not coming back." Adam quipped.

Samus rolled her eyes before exiting the small medical bay and sat down in the pilot's seat. "Keep it sedated until we're near Korasit. It'll be the only place I can safely handle this if things go south."

"Understood, Samus. Course is set...we'll arrive within about twelve hours." Adam advised.

Samus slumped in her chair a bit with a smile. "Good. Keep things handled...I'm getting some sleep."

The woman then quickly made her way to her private quarters before entering her sleep chamber and nearly immediately falling asleep.


	4. Ch 4: Awaken

**A/N: Next chapter's out. R&R, please.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Awaken

* * *

_True strength is a rare find._

_It is not measured by physical power, ingenuity, nor combat prowess._

_True strength comes not from one's skill with weapons or technology._

_Instead, strength comes from the bonds we hold with our brothers and sisters, for in a universe where we are isolated, those bonds are the extent of our power._

_However, even isolated, we Chozo have learned to draw upon ourselves to defend that which we hold dear._

_Strength of oneself is measured not in the enemies we have slain, nor the feats of strength we have accomplished...instead, it is measured in the amount of strife we can endure, and yet survive ‒ the amount of hardship we can live through, and still look to the future with a smile._

_It is the teachings of the Newborn that we have come to respect._

_Dark though her past may be, we sense her future as a bright star shining in the darkness, sometimes alone, but burning brightly nonetheless._

_It is unsettling that across the eons of existence, the Newborn has taught us more in her short life than we have learned in centuries._

_Perhaps we have observed the cosmos incorrectly._

_Even the "mighty" Chozo cannot change the past, however, and so we must learn from this mistake as we have so many others, and move on with this newfound wisdom._

_Perhaps one day when the darkness has retreated, the Newborn will be known for what she is quickly becoming: the shining star of the Chozo._

_May the Celestial Dreamer guide her always._

_-Gray Voice, 4019 GA_

* * *

It was quiet...mercifully so.

For the first time in a long time, Samus awoke not to alarms or Adam advising her of a distress signal or Pirate raid on some nearby system. Instead, it was simply the subtle hum of her ship's stardrive, along with a few beeps or whirrs from the computer consoles. She smiled gently as she opened her sleep chamber and stepped out, then quickly cleaned herself and checked the ship's protocols for any abnormalities...just to be sure. For once, it seemed that things were going well overall, and Samus was nearly anxious at the prospect.

Until her stomach growled loudly.

She chuckled lightly before making her way to a small kitchenette, built into her ship years ago under the assumption that she processed nutrients the same as other humans. At one time perhaps, she had, but her DNA being grafted with that of the Baby changed that forever. Where once she had simply absorbed energy to keep her suit's systems fully charged, she had found over time that the energy also directly sustained her, and the only time she needed to process "normal" food was times like this...when she had gone for weeks without an energy source.

It cut down on living expenses, so her situation did indeed have its perks.

"Finally decided to join the living Samus?" Adam asked mirthfully.

She smiled lightly as a sweet nutrient paste was warmed up, along with a bagel. "Well you know I need my beauty sleep."

For a few moments, the computerized CO was silent before replying, "Nope...too easy." Samus glared up at the small camera diode above her before using a knife to spread the nutrient paste over the toasted circle of bread. "Anyhow, I wished to inform you that your passenger's vitals are stable, and it appears that his human biology has allowed the medications and sedatives to work very well...though upon doing a few scans, I came across a few things you would like to know."

Samus took a bite of her "breakfast" and chewed a bit before swallowing. "Oh? And what did you find?"

"Well," Adam began slowly, "a few things, as I said. First of all his 'skin' is as tough as Federation durasteel, but also as flexible as human skin. So although plated and ridiculously resilient, his exoskeleton has a rather soft texture, at least compared to the real Ridley."

"A 'gift' from Ridley's genetic material, no doubt." Samus responded with a smile, but then it faltered as her mind went over Adam's explanation. "Wait, _his_?"

"Yes." the computer confirmed. "While lacking any visible genitalia or having adequate knowledge of Ridley's species, I have confirmed through blood tests that the subject is indeed male. He has many of the same hormones in his blood that a human does, as well as copious amounts of a variant of human testosterone. I took these preliminary tests in an effort to try and predict how he will react, at least in some degree, to...well, everything."

Samus thought for a moment before smiling and taking another bite of the bagel. "Good to know that one of us is thinking about the abstract variables. What else did you find out?"

"Well," Adam began softly, "it's strange, really. His cranial cavity is about the size of a human's as is his brain, but his neural activity is off the charts...off the charts for a human, at least."

The woman shrugged as she finished the last of her meal. "Well he's hardly a normal human anymore, and even though I hate to admit it, Ridley was _very_ intelligent. It figures that would be one of the traits that came over with the genes."

"Yes, but that's not the only thing that 'came over'." Adam replied warily. "He's also inherited Ridley's ability to generate plasma, likely as a extremely dangerous exhalation. His tail is strong and hard enough to pierce right through your suit, but it's also flexible and has a very large amount of muscle tone. Overall, he has twice the muscle fibers of a human his size, but with them being connected directly to his exoskeleton, he has four times the strength."

Samus raised an eyebrow. "You keep saying 'exoskeleton'...does that mean he doesn't have a traditional human's skeletal structure?"

"No, that's the strange part...he has both." the computer replied.

The blonde female sat down on a bench in her quarters and thought for a moment. "Hmm...I _thought_ he was heavier than he should be. I mean I'm a _lot_ stronger in my suit than a normal human, but even with all that added strength, he _still_ felt unbelievably heavy when I was carrying him."

"He weighs in at 1.5 metric tons." Adam added quickly.

Samus sighed as she placed her hand to her forehead. "Thank the Dreamer he's not as heavy as Ridley then...I would have had to leave him there."

"The 'Dreamer'?" the computer asked curiously.

The woman chuckled as she stood. "Chozo thing...I don't have the time to explain right now, really."

"You're just lazy..." the computer deadpanned.

Samus nodded with a grin and confirmed, "I'm just lazy."

"Well regardless, we are approaching Korasit, and will be exiting hyperspace within the next few minutes." the computer advised.

Samus nodded and walked from her quarters to the cockpit. "Good. When we land and I get our 'guest' onto the surface, I'm going to set the ship into orbit around the planet. I don't know how this meeting is going to go or if he can even fly, but I'm not going to take any chances." She then grimaced as she activated her suit, the strong Chozo exoskeleton covering her quickly. "If he shows malicious hostility towards me, I'll put him down."

"Exiting hyperspace in 3...2...1..." the computer advised, and as the countdown hit "one", the bright neon colors of hyperspace faded, leaving only the view of a large orangish-brown planet in front. "Alright Samus, beginning landing procedures. Prepare for approach."

* * *

A few rides with upper atmosphere turbulence and a rather harsh landing later, a certain armored bounty hunter was unloading the large hybrid being from her ship, and then typed a few commands into her arm cannon, sending the ship speeding away.

Samus typed another command into her arm cannon and watched as it grew in width and began to spark with purple electricity. She then placed the weapon just above the large figure's chest and let a small shot free.

The effect was immediate, as the electricity danced around the body of the hybrid, it began to twitch and even groan a bit. After a few seconds, the resulting charge died down, but the movements of the hybrid did not. After a few more minutes, it finally rolled over to its chest and began to push itself up...only to screech in shock when it apparently caught sight of its hands and body. After a few moments of observing itself, the head suddenly snapped up, and swiveled around to stare directly at Samus.

Even from her distance of nearly two hundred paces, she could see the familiar fiery energy that were Ridley's eyes, a trait apparently passed from progenitor to subject. Even though lacking traditional eyes, she knew it...rather, _he_ was staring directly at her. Much to her relief, it did not attack or even seem to recognize her, and as it slowly turned to completely face her, she nearly felt the distinct impression of confusion...and even a little fear. Though this thing may have been built from Ridley's own genetic material, she had to remind herself that it was _not_ him, and so she could not expect it to react to her the same way that the Space Pirate leader would.

Chancing it, Samus slowly stepped forward with her arms held out in a non-threatening gesture. "Do you understand me?" The tall creature regarded her curiously, but did not appear to understand her, and so she felt it would be pointless to try other human languages. With that in mind, she activated her suit's translator for a common Space Pirate dialect, and spoke the same question again. "Do you understand me?" Her suit broadcasted not her voice, but a strange mix of what her human ears heard as grunts, growls, and odd guttural roars.

At this, the "not-Ridley" perked up a bit and nodded, replying in a similar form of sounds. The translator worked seamlessly, and translated the sounds into, "Yes, I can. Who are you? Who am I? What's going on?"

Glad to be making some progress, Samus allowed herself a smile. "I am Samus Aran. To put it simply, I found you in a research station that was experimenting with human and extraterrestrial DNA...which is how you came about." Her explanation was met with a blank stare, so she continued with, "Do you remember _anything_? Any memories?"

The fiery eyes and angular face turned into an expression that Samus believed to be thoughtfulness for a few moments, then the hybrid shrugged. "Nothing. I have flashes of things here and there, but nothing consistent or concrete. Though the very fact that I can converse with you confirms that my mind remembers _something_...though I am unsure what."

Samus chuckled darkly. "The language you are speaking and that I am replying in is the language of a race of creatures commonly called 'Space Pirates'. They are a powerful race of people, bent on furthering their own agenda across the cosmos, regardless of who or what gets in their way."

The hybrid seemed taken aback as it responded, "I'm not one of them, am I?"

"Do you want to be?" Samus questioned.

The tall plated figure shook its head hastily. "No...I don't. Whatever these 'Space Pirates' are doing can't be good if there are so many opposing them."

Samus shrugged as she took a few steps closer. "One person's evil is another's righteousness...it is a lesson I have had to learn throughout my life. The truth is that there is no definitive 'right' or 'wrong' in the universe...that is always for you to decide."

"I see..." the hybrid replied thoughtfully It then looked back to Samus and stood slowly, albeit shakily. "What am I?" Samus reflexively steadied her arm cannon with her left hand, and began charging a blast of potent plasma, and although it was unlikely this poor creature realized what she was doing, it understood the body language of unease and self-defense. "Am I an enemy to you?"

Realizing what she was doing, Samus released the charge of the beam and lowered her weapon. "_You_ are not, no. What you were mixed with _was_. You are the result of clever splicing between human DNA and the DNA of my greatest enemy. His name was Ridley."

The sharp mind within the hybrid's skull worked out the subtle cues in Samus' behavior and body language, then responded with, "And it is safe to assume my physical form takes more after this enemy of yours than a human's, yes?"

The woman nodded slowly before letting her neural command cause her suit to dematerialize. Once in her Zero Suit, she opened her arms again. "I am a human...or at least I look like one." Not wishing to tempt fate, she quickly donned her Varia Suit again.

The eyes of the creature studied Samus for a moment before it pointed a shaky claw in her direction. "I know you somehow. You're one of the flashes of images I see. I...I dreamt about you." The fiery eyes looked to the ground for a few moments before looking back up at the woman across from it. "You hate it...this 'Ridley' character. What made you detest it so much?"

At this question, Samus could not look at him anymore, and she dropped her eyes to the dusty rock she stood upon. "I was orphaned at his hands...he murdered my parents, as well as everyone else in my home. There was no reason for him to do so. He had already taken what he had needed from us...he killed all of my friends and family simply because he _could_, and there wasn't anything I could do to stop him." She then looked back up at the hybrid with her teeth clenched in rage, not for him, but for the detestable monster whose blood ran in his veins. "_That_ is why I hate him. He took everything from me, and has continued to do so on multiple occasions. All of my life I have been tracking him, and even when I defeat him, he just reappears somehow. It is as if I am destined to forever battle him for all the days of my life."

The hybrid looked away for a moment before asking, "Why did you not destroy me then?"

Samus sighed and completely lowered her arm cannon. "Had I come upon you a decade ago or longer, you would not be able to even ask me that...I would have left you on that station to die when it was destroyed. However," she began, lowering her voice into a reverent tone, "my father taught me better than that. It isn't your fault you are what you are, nor should I judge you for the sins of your progenitor. Your life means every bit as much as mine, and it's not my place to take yours. So long as you never maliciously threaten peace in the galaxy, you will have nothing to fear from me." The bounty hunter then looked to the skies, as if searching for her ship. "I can't simply let you wander about on your own, however. You would be in constant danger of being either captured or killed, and while I am confident that you _would_ be able to defend yourself, there is no need for unnecessary bloodshed. You are now my charge, and you'll be coming with me."

"You would trust me to travel with you, even looking as I do?" the hybrid asked curiously.

"My allies are few and far in between," Samus replied bitterly, "and friends even more so. It is natural for me to suspect first, and trust very rarely. However, it is not within my nature to leave you to your own devices. I chose to save you, and thus you are my responsibility. I have to keep you safe, until or unless you give me reason to do otherwise."

'_Don't give me a reason...please.'_ Samus thought to herself.

The large armored creature let show what was some semblance of a smile. "Thank you, Samus Aran."

She smiled before clearing her throat. "Anyhow, part of the reason we are here is because I have to train you. The bleak fact of the matter is that this is not a peaceful galaxy, and those that are caught by the darkness without knowing how to fight back will die. Regardless of what you may think of yourself, you were _designed_ for battle. Ridley was the pinnacle of the Space Pirate forces...the very top of their ranks. His leadership skills were legendary, his combat record bloody and filled with triumph...until me. Even within his own ranks, _none_ could best him...only me. While it is true that you are _not_ him, you have many of his traits. Your skin, while flexible, is like armor...able to withstand even blasts from my arm cannon. Your tail and wings are heavily armored, and your tail is strong and sharp, able to be used as both a dextrous limb used for grabbing things, as well as a weapon. Your claws of course are also very strong and sharp, able to pierce all but the most durable of metallic alloys. You are tremendously resilient and physically strong, as well as agile. Last but certainly not least is your plasma breath...though I'm unsure how it works, you have the ability to blast plasma strong enough to tear through nearly anything with ease."

"And plasma is...?" the hybrid asked curiously, taking everything in as he inspected himself.

Samus chuckled lightly. "Plasma is a state of matter in which all the molecular particles have become ionized, becoming a state of high energy that reacts to electromagnetic fields, such as those found surrounding many planets. Some plasmas are rather harmless, such as those used for light in many species' dwellings, but the variant that you and I use is akin to what's called astrophysical plasma. This type of plasma is extremely powerful, oftentimes very hot, and is horrendously destructive. It's the same type of matter that stars use to produce heat and light." She punctuated this point with a gesture to the bright yellow star in the sky. Samus then sighed. "As I said, however, I am unsure exactly how your ability works. It is something you'll need to find out on your own. For now, I am going to train you in basic combat tactics, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of what I call 'conceptual instinct'. In these training sessions I will only be using my most basic arm cannon beam, so while you will definitely feel it, you will be in no danger of being injured. You are to dodge or absorb my shots any way you can, and attempt to counter attack. And don't worry about hurting me...I'm much more durable than you might think. Should at any time it becomes too much, I will say so...and the same goes for you. Are you okay with this?"

He stared at her in confusion for a few moments before asking, "You would train me, even though I am part of what you hate so much?"

Samus shook her head. "You're not him, and so I'm not going to relate to you as I do Ridley. Had I done so, you would already be dead."

"I see..." he responded thoughtfully. He then eyed her skeptically. "While I appreciate this, I must ask...what is in it for you? What do you gain by turning me from what I am now into a warrior?"

The woman chuckled lightly again and placed her hand on her arm cannon. "I gain a powerful ally, and my enemies gain an enemy...and should a time ever come that you betray me, I know everything you know, and so I know exactly how to take you down."

"I would never-" the creature began, only to be interrupted with a wave of the bounty hunter's hand.

"I hope you don't take offense, but words mean little to me. If you're truly trustworthy, then in time, I will trust you. For now though, we are simply two warriors who are training." Samus responded with a nod. She then placed her hand on her hip as she thought. "However, I can't keep thinking you as simply 'the hybrid' or 'the creature'...that seems a little offensive, even by my standards. What would you wish to call yourself?"

The tall hybrid shrugged sheepishly. "Remember, I don't know anything about this galaxy, this time, or what words mean what or anything. What would you propose?"

Samus thought for a moment before a name came to her...one from her past. "Heartseeker. He was a great warrior from my childhood, and was the one who trained me. It was said that he never missed a target...ever. No enemy ever bested him, and not even I could come close to his battle prowess. He died after many centicycles of life, of old age."

"I don't even know how to fight...do you truly believe such a powerful title should be mine?" he asked curiously.

Samus nodded. "You have the potential to be one of the most formidable forces in the cosmos...you just need training. The only things I won't be able to teach you to do are how to fly and how to breathe your plasma. Everything else, I can train you in."

The newly-named Heartseeker nodded. "Very well." He then reflexively flared his wings and settled into a stable stance, claws extended dangerously and tail held high in position. "Let us begin."

Samus smiled and dashed at her new sparring partner.

Heartseeker's sharp vision watched as time seemed to slow down, and his natural combat instincts took hold. He could read the subtle cues in Samus' gait, the shifting of weight from one side or the other, as well as the nearly unnoticeable way she placed more weight on her right foot than her left. He watched her as she continued to approach, and moved to his left with a claw held high as Samus dodged to her right...directly into the claw's path.

Samus' eyes widened as the large hand batted her aside and to the ground, disorienting her but not truly doing any damage. It still caused the Hunter to find a newfound respect for her new charge who, without any formal training, had already caught her completely unawares within a few seconds of the sparring session starting.

Still...she wasn't going to let him off easily for that.

Samus grinned as she pushed herself to a kneeling position, just in time to see the large hybrid approaching upon all fours, much faster than she expected. She barely had time to blink before she was forced to activate her thrusters to jump up high over him while firing a charged blast from her Power Beam at the sensitive nerve endings at the base of his wings.

A loud screech of pain answered her attack, followed by the sound of a thud on the ground. Samus turned around to see Heartseeker fallen on the ground, smoke rising from the spot between his wings.

'_Shit,'_ she mentally cursed herself, _'I got a little too rough.'_

Samus quickly jogged over to the groaning Heartseeker and walked around to the front of him. "Ugh...I'm sorry. I got a little too excited there, and-"

The Chozo-blooded woman was cut off as she was grabbed by both clawed hands, and immediately heard as alarms began to sound from within her suit, warning her that she was being crushed...as if the pressure pain wasn't enough. Samus was then released onto the ground with a metallic thud, while the imposing figure stood above her with a grin.

"Oops, I guess I was a little excited." Heartseeker commented innocently.

Samus grunted as she rolled to her back and sighed. "Well there's _one_ thing you don't share with Ridley...he had _no_ sense of humor."

Heartseeker grinned before extending a clawed hand to her, which she took with her left and was pulled to her feet. "Well if I must look like your enemy in form, I will aim to be different from him in personality and function."

The Hunter shook her head with a smile. "Well don't mold yourself to be something specific on _my_ account."

He shrugged. "And why not? You have shown me kindness and mercy, and thus by all accounts, you are a friend...or at the very least, an ally. Because I must build who I am from the ground up, I find it prudent to avoid being an enemy to one who has literally saved my life."

For some reason, this struck a chord with the normally-serious bounty hunter, and she simply smiled and nodded in return. "Well I thank you for that, Heartseeker. It is greatly appreciated." Samus then readied her arm cannon and smirked. "Now, shall we continue?"

* * *

Nearly two hours passed on the planet as the two powerful beings sparred with each other, and at the end of it all, both were left bruised, exhausted, and wary of one another. Samus was wary of Heartseeker because of his innate battle prowess, while he was wary of her unnatural reflexes and precision. Both had a newfound respect for the other, and while Samus was still cautious of her new charge, she could say that in many ways, she was pleasantly surprised by him. Other than his combat skills, he showed little to nothing in common with his progenitor, which allowed her to take multiple breaths of relief on the matter.

For the first time in a long time, Samus was exhausted, and chose to spend the rest of the day teaching Heartseeker survival tactics, namely stealth in hostile territory, foraging, and recognizing predator territories. Thankfully for her, he picked up on her teachings very quickly, even going so far as to modify her tactics for his much larger bulk.

Samus was rather impressed.

Heartseeker's startling intelligence and wit had a rather dark side of Samus' mind working as well, however. Though it seemed unlikely at the time, she had to remind herself of how much she had lost simply by trusting the wrong person, so with all of this new respect came a wariness towards the powerful hybrid being, and she watched him with cautious eyes, ready to resort to lethal force at a moment's notice. Guilt washed over her at this revelation of her thoughts, but she reminded herself of just what was at stake here.

The galaxy could _not_ handle another Ridley.

As the day wound to a close on Korasit, Samus built a simple shelter with Heartseeker's help. While it would have been more comfortable in her ship, she was reticent to allow him into it while awake...for now, anyway. Besides, she couldn't very well establish a good training regimen with only one day, now could she? With that in mind, the Hunter went about making the shelter as waterproof as possible within a jungle to the west of their landing area, and prepared for the incoming torrential rain.

* * *

The sky fell open nearly a half-hour later, leaving a rather grumpy hybrid and a human woman sheltered underneath a collection of leaves, and a small alcove of a cave. Luckily for them both, the structures they built allowed for the water to drain away quite readily, but the shelter wasn't perfect, and Heartseeker found himself rather soaked to the core. The stifling heat of the rainforest didn't help matters for him, which only added to his lack of comfort.

Samus on the other hand, was relatively comfortable. After all, her suit provided her with anything her body might need, temperature regulation included. The only thing she did _not_ have, however, was a reliable source of energy, and very quickly she found she was becoming famished.

The woman looked up at her charge, who was looking rather waterlogged, and said, "We need to find something to eat. I need something to sustain me, as do you. Your body uses up energy a lot quicker than mine does, so we need to get you something substantial to eat."

"What did you have in mind?" he grumbled dryly.

"Well," Samus began, searching through her ship's databanks before finding what she was looking for, "there should be a rather large herbivore within the rainforest of this planet commonly referred to as a Reed Stomper, which tends to keep to the shallows of deep lakes and rivers. Luckily for us, there's a natural lake about two-hundred feet in," Samus then pointed off into the distance, "that direction. I think it could be good practice for you, so you do the hunting, and I'll observe and offer pointers where they're needed."

Heartseeker craned his neck to look out into the forest, and grimaced. "Can't we wait until the rain stops?"

Samus sighed and shook her head. "By the time the rain stops, you could be starving to death. Rain in these forests can last anywhere from a few days to a week straight...hence why it's called a _rain_forest."

"Funny." he deadpanned, with an exuberant amount of sarcasm present. "What if it's dangerous?"

"It's an herbivore without claws, sharp teeth, venom, or spines. Its size is its only real defense, so if it is able to take you down, I wasted my time saving you from the research station." she explained. Samus then stood and patted the large hybrid on the side. "Come on...show me what you got."

Heartseeker took this as a challenge and grinned. "Alright then, let's go." The two then traipsed away into the forest, using the cover of rain to approach their unsuspecting prey.

* * *

From the dense growth along the banks of the lake, the duo had finally spotted their prey after nearly twenty minutes of tracking.

"Okay, so here's what you need to know:" Samus began quietly, "vital areas are the second eyes near the top of the head, the soft underbelly, and the mouth. The auditory patches are sensitive to loud sounds, so you can use a loud screech or roar at close range to disorient it. The only thing you have to worry about is its legs, which are heavily armored and muscled. I'll be observing from afar to see how you do, but I'm not going to jump in and help unless you're in actual danger...and even then, only after you get a few bumps for you to learn a lesson." Heartseeker glared at her, while she just shrugged. "No pain, no gain. It's an old adage that holds true in many situations. Learning can often be painful."

"I see." he replied dryly. Heartseeker flexed his wings and rolled his shoulders a few times before sighing. "Alright then, let's see what I can do."

Samus watched as the hybrid walked away, a smile on her face. As he did so, she wondered just what would come of this new ally. As much as she tried not do, she felt a small pang and longing in her chest for a friend...someone who understood what it was like to be so different that you were shunned by your own kind, even after they wronged you in so many ways. Anthony was a friend, but did not understand this. Adam, the amazing mentor and understanding man he was, could only relate to a degree.

Heartseeker was different.

Like Samus, he was a walking experiment. His body was a genetic mashup of different DNA, all for the sake of the Federation's research. True that _Samus'_ life was more than that, but all the same she had been used as a pawn in a corrupt game of chess.

'_Never again.'_ she seethed as she looked with pity at her charge, her new ally. _'We didn't deserve this..._no one_ deserves the hell we've been born from...and it will never end with just us. The shadows of the universe will keep growing and keep defiling life more and more until there is no sanctity left.'_ Samus shuddered in anger. _'I can't let that happen...I'll fight it until either the darkness dies or I do...'_ She then gazed at the stalking hybrid, and allowed herself a smile. _'And maybe he can help me.'_

Samus watched as Heartseeker suddenly leapt from the underbrush, screeching loudly in a layered roar that sounded like a true monster from hell. Faster than she could blink, he was on his target's back, and bit down on the thick neck of it while digging his claws into its back and sides to keep a firm hold. The beast began thrashing wildly while letting a cry of alarm sound, loud enough to nearly deafen Samus...even within her suit. Heartseeker too was having second thoughts about his meal, but then Samus suddenly had an idea as she saw his tail whipping around.

"Use your tail! Slice its belly open!" she shouted.

During their sparring session, the hybrid had come to learn how to control his tail willingly, and while it was nowhere near as dexterous as it _could_ be yet, it was still a dangerous weapon to be reckoned with. Samus watched as the spike on the end fanned out to become something akin to an axe...and she gasped in surprise.

"Wow...didn't know it could do _that_." she mumbled to herself.

The motion of the tail was in no way coordinated, seeing as how he was just getting used to its use, but Heartseeker was still able to swing it under the beast's undercarriage, and embed it on the other side. He then yanked the powerful muscles in his tail, and heard a gory, sloppy tearing sound as the creature was disemboweled.

With a howl of pain and a few shaky steps, the large animal fell to the ground in a heap.

Samus walked over, clapping her hand to her cannon in praise. "Well done, Heartseeker. That was done much better than I thought you would." She then looked down at the animal, and saw its eyes wide with fear, so she turned back to her charge. "A rule to follow when you're hunting, Heartseeker..."

He looked up as he stood off of the beast. "Yes?"

She pointed at their soon-to-be meal and sighed. "Don't let it suffer. End its life quickly...show it mercy."

He thought for a second before nodding, and again fanned the blades on his tail before grabbing it with his hand and chopping the head away from the body...causing the animal to finally pass.

Samus nodded in approval. "Good. Now let's get this back to the shelter and cook it. I'm sure you're hungry by now, and to be honest, I could use a good meal too."

* * *

Night had fallen upon the wilds of Korasit, meaning that the larger predators would be searching for meals. Luckily, Samus and Heartseeker had butchered and cooked the Reed Stomper before leaving the carcass a great distance away, deterring predators and scavengers alike from bothering them.

Much to Samus' surprise (and pleasure), the meat was rather good. It had been nearly a year since she had last eaten any part of an animal, but this meal reminded her of what she was missing.

"I could _definitely_ get used to this." Heartseeker remarked as he licked his claws clean with a rather disturbingly long forked tongue.

Samus merely chuckled as she finished the meal and put her helmet back on. "Well when we're on the ship, pickings are going to be rather simple. You won't starve or be malnourished, but let's just say the food on the ship is rather minimal as far as taste is concerned."

"I wouldn't mind, so long as I am not alone." he replied darkly. The Hunter looked at him questioningly, and he just sighed sadly. "Like it or not, Samus Aran, you are _all_ I have in the galaxy. I have no family, no friends, and by what you say, it is likely an entire federation is looking to seal my demise." He turned to her with a sullen expression. "I have _no one_ else...please don't leave me alone."

Samus was genuinely shocked by this behavior. For some reason, such pleading seemed all the more powerful, coming from someone so large in stature. The words suddenly made him seem much smaller, and vulnerable.

And then Samus remembered why.

Though it was clear that Heartseeker had inborn battle instincts and could think, and speak as an adult would, she had to remind herself that in all other aspects, he _was_ a child. He knew nothing of the galaxy, the way it worked, and had even made her realize he did not know the simple difference between right or wrong...or how to tell the difference. True, he looked like a dangerous monster...

But underneath, he was likely afraid, and lonely.

Samus too, was lonely...but because she missed that which had passed. Unlike her, Heartseeker had never had parents who cared for him, friends and comrades who respected and cared for him...he had nothing. It was the one thing that Samus could admit to herself she couldn't relate to him on, but it was something she felt that with time, she could change.

'_I suppose he could use a friend...but I'm not sure about him yet.'_ she thought. _'It could all be some ploy to get me to let my guard down...who knows, but I can't take that chance...I don't trust him enough yet to even allow him on my ship.'_

Still...she knew she could offer one truth to him.

"Heartseeker." she called, getting the hybrid's attention and falling under the gaze of his burning eyes. "So long as you don't do wrong, I won't leave you."

"I hope I don't do wrong then." he replied hopefully.

Samus allowed herself a smile. "If you truly do not wish to, you won't. We all make mistakes, but I can tell the difference between a mistake and a true malicious action. So, as long as you don't purposefully do something mean or bad, I'll never leave you."

Heartseeker smiled, and this time, Samus found it oddly less disturbing...and more contagious. "Do you really mean that?"

She smiled as well and nodded, though he couldn't see it through her helmet. "I do." She then pointed to him and to the ground. "Lay down and get some sleep. I'll keep watch tonight, and you'll take over tomorrow night." The large hybrid didn't speak another word as he laid down on the damp stone floor, curling his tail around himself as he also wrapped his large violet wings around himself.

For some reason, Samus found the gesture..._cute_. It was cute in the way of a small pet animal would be cute doing the same thing. Suddenly, she nearly shot herself with her own arm cannon in shock of what she'd just thought.

'_Cute? By the Dreamer, what's wrong with me?'_ she mentally berated herself. She then sighed as she looked back to the sleeping hybrid. "I really need a vacation or something." Samus sighed before focusing her gaze on the shelter entrance and watched it intently for any dangers that might approach.

There were no threats that night.


	5. Ch 5: Journeys

**A/N: Been a long time since I've posted anything for this story, so if you were waiting for it, I'm sorry. Anyhow, I think this chapter turned out very well, and I'm quite sure most of you will enjoy. As always, please R&R and let me know what you think.**

**To Soulhavok - Indeed it is.**

**To vroony - I actually did like Other M, but her character as a whole is meant to be kept mysterious. The idea is that it's up to the reader/gamer to decide what she's like, which in actuality makes her a very malleable character. As a writer, I can choose to make her a hardtack bounty hunter that cares only for the next kill, or I could make her a tortured soul that seeks redemption. It's all about how one wishes to portray her.**

**To nerdman - There aren't too many Metroid fics out there, so I guess that's not saying much. Still, I appreciate the praise. Enjoy.**

**To Elemental Queen - Really now? Where do you think it's going?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Journeys

What had originally began as a short training session to hone the skills of Heartseeker became a stint two months long upon the surface of Korasit. It was the longest time that Samus had ever spent in one place where the Space Pirates were not involved in some way, though her companion's physical form was so similar to the late Space Pirate leader, Ridley.

Over the many days the two had spent together, Samus had begun to relax more around the dragon-like being. The more and more she came to know him, the more his similarities with Ridley seemed to bleed away. Heartseeker had become his own person, and she no longer associated him with her longtime nemesis...

He didn't deserve that.

As a sparring partner, Heartseeker was deadlier than Ridley ever was. As the days and weeks passed, he became stronger, faster, more agile, and more perceptive than expected. Ridley may have been hardy, powerful, and large compared to Samus, but because of that the bounty hunter had been forced to rely on skill to overcome a superior foe. Her skills had been passed to Heartseeker, and her "apprentice" had become a greater warrior than she could have ever hoped for, nearly completely overshadowing her own power. At first, such a realization would have worried her, but as she had come to trust him, she learned that his apparent personality was no act.

Samus found it nice to be able to take someone at face-value.

* * *

So it was, five months after first meeting her new charge, he and Samus were in her ship floating aimlessly in a fringe sector that went unmonitored more often than not.

After the two had left the planet Korasit, Samus had taken to teaching her companion many different things including broad sciences, medicine and biology, and more recently, language. After all, the Space Pirate dialects were only used by...well, Space Pirates. Samus knew how to speak any language that a human's voice faculties were capable of speaking, and so she had set about teaching Heartseeker everything she knew as far as language and written word.

Much to Samus' delight, his brain was like a sponge, and he absorbed every teaching with startling efficiency and speed. In fact, he reminded her of herself when she was younger, only with more innocence. It was a fact she often ignored, simply because she envied his view on the universe. It was pure and unbiased, uncorrupted by regret and the primal need for justice. To him, the sea of space was beautiful and serene, each and every dot of light a wonder to behold.

She was distracted, going over multiple confidential Galactic Federation reports in an attempt to discern the exact branch that was involved in Heartseeker's creation, as it was likely _they_ would be the group most likely to seek his demise. Upon learning what Samus' place was in the universe as well as the enemies she had made, Heartseeker had given an oath to keep her safe...and she had promised to do the same for him. It made sense then that she would seek to destroy or cripple the organization that sought to tie up their "loose ends."

"So what's on the agenda for this week, boss?" called the hybrid from behind her, speaking in common tongue, at one time stating he would continue to do so because he enjoyed Samus' true voice.

Samus sighed as she turned around to him, rubbing her eyes lazily. "I'm not sure. I mean, Anthony's sent me intel, but nothing conclusive has come about yet. He's already risking so much sending me what he has, and I don't want to request any more."

"Well," Heartseeker began, "we could always go and visit with the Luminoth. You told me that you were going to visit them after you destroyed the station anyway."

Samus nodded. "Yes, and I would have liked to do it sooner but G.F. patrols have become more common in that sector lately. I think someone's looking for the one who destroyed that station." She then sighed. "Still, it would be nice to see friends again, and the patrols have died down during the last few Aetherine days."

"So let's go on a vacation." the tall hybrid suggested excitedly. "There's no sense in floating around in space when we could be relaxing on a friendly planet. No offense, Adam."

"None taken." the computer replied.

Samus leaned back in her seat as she tapped a finger on one of the armrests. "Hmm...I was going to tell U-Mos when I finished with the station anyway, so I'm sure he'd be glad to have me."

"Then let's go!" Heartseeker pleaded childishly. "Do not think I don't enjoy your company Samus, because I do, but I would like to meet these Luminoth that you speak so highly about, as well as hear the story of how you came to know them."

Samus flinched gently, enough to know she did so, but not enough for Heartseeker's vision to pick it up. She hadn't told him about her past, or what she was as a whole. She told herself that of all the people she knew, _he_ would likely be the only one to fully understand her situation. Nonetheless, she still was reluctant to tell anyone about the horrors she had been forced to endure throughout her life.

One such horror was her time on Aether with the Ing.

It still gave her nightmares to this day. The evil-twisted creatures that sprang up from Ing possession alone were the stuff of Hell itself, but the atmosphere of the land was even more so. Even after donning the Light Suit to keep the physical aspect of danger away, another more subtle danger was ever-present. Whispers...sometimes so quiet she couldn't tell if they were real or not. Voices tapped into her mind and whispered twisted things...sometimes wonderful, sometimes horrible. These whispers tore at her sanity in such a way that she ordered her ship's computer to lock her in solitary confinement until she was better.

She was completely alone for a week.

Samus wanted to tell Heartseeker everything at one point..._everything_...but she just wasn't ready to divulge that information yet. She had come to trust the powerful hybrid being, but there were some things about her she had yet to tell anyone...even Adam. Perhaps that would change with time, but for now, she couldn't allow that sort of vulnerability, with ally _or_ enemy.

Samus allowed herself a small smile as she nodded. "You know what...sure, that sounds like a plan." She then pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of her and said, "Adam? Take us to Aether. I'm going to introduce our new friend to our old friends."

"Understood, Lady." the computerized CO replied. "Setting course to the Zeta Sector. Estimated travel time, three days."

Samus nodded with a smile. "Thank you. We're going to go and get something to eat...let me know if anything comes up." Without another word, she and her charge made their way to the mess deck.

* * *

As usual, the meals had been filling, but rather bland by comparison to "normal" food, so much so that Samus was wishing she could simply find an energy source somewhere instead. Still, Samus knew that she couldn't afford to be picky, and she needed to keep their spirits high until they made it to their destination.

Heartseeker's spirits, however, couldn't have gotten much better. He was more excited than Samus had ever seen him before, which made sense seeing as how they were on their way to meet with other living sapient beings. After all, Samus had been the only person he'd had any contact with, unless one could count Adam, so she assumed he was very excited about getting to know such praised beings as the Luminoth. Though it was clear he was very excited, at the moment, he seemed deep in thought about something.

"Samus." he called, his deep, gravelly voice contrasting his gentle personality.

The Hunter looked up from her finished meal and replied, "Yes?"

The large hybrid twiddled his thumbs a little nervously before looking up at her, his fiery eyes burning brightly. "Well, I have a question for you...and it's rather personal. I know you do not speak about your past, but I have been wondering lately...who were your family?"

Samus dropped the cup she had been drinking from, its contents splattering over the small table they sat at.

"I-I'm sorry," Heartseeker stated gently, "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just...you never talk about them."

She fought down her emotions and sighed, keeping her voice neutral. "I don't talk about a lot of things. Why is this different?"

He dabbed his clawed finger in the paste on his tray before bringing it to his mouth, licking the food off of it. He then leveled his burning gaze with Samus and said, "Because you had the one thing I can never have. Even if everything turns out perfect and I'm accepted, gain friends, and find my true calling in life, a family is still something I will never have..._love_ is still something I _can_ never have." He sighed and lowered his eyes as he clearly fought to reign in his emotions. "I only wish to know what that was like for you, if only to know objectively what it is like."

As soon as Heartseeker finished speaking, Samus felt a twinge within her of something she rarely felt towards another: sympathy. She actually felt sorry for him. He was right, a family was something he would never have, simply because he was _grown_, not born. He had no kin, and whatever DNA he shared with the donor human it had been taken from was mutated beyond repair, becoming something completely different.

Samus thought over this for a few moments before making a decision.

"Fine..." she began dryly, clearly reluctant to speak on the matters, "though there isn't much to tell, really." She sat back in her chair and her eyes glazed over a bit as she reminisced on her past. "I was born on a human space colony called K-2L, where I was raised by my birth parents...they were normal humans. When I was three, a Space Pirate raid ended the lives of most of the humans there, including my parents." Samus shuddered at the memory as she added, "Ridley himself delivered the killing blow to my parents...right in front of me."

Heartseeker was conflicted. On the one hand, he had a powerful desire to reach across the table and take her hand in an attempt to comfort her. However, his understanding of Samus' behavior told him that would likely be a _very_ bad idea. He knew his guardian well enough to know that to do so would likely provoke a negative response...and considering how withdrawn she normally was, it could be violent.

Instead, he simply whispered, "I'm sorry, Samus..."

The Hunter brooded for a few moments before sighing and shaking her head. "It's not your fault...it's just another memory now. Anyway, that same day, a group of Chozo intercepted the distress signal the colony sent, and came to see if there were any survivors. I was the only one they found alive...so they took me away." She sighed as she used a nearby rag to wipe up the spilled liquid from her cup. "They brought me to their home...Zebes. One of the high priests, Gray Voice, took an interest in me pretty early on, and he took it upon himself to raise me. He never hid anything from me, and as soon as I could understand, he told me what had happened to my parents." A small smile creased her lips as she remembered her mentor...her father. "From that moment on, I trained. Never again would I be sitting off to the side, helpless when I could fight. Gray Voice and the others vowed to give me the strength and skill to protect myself in this hostile galaxy, because they knew all too well just how dark and unforgiving it could be. Gray Voice infused my blood with his own, adding strength, intelligence, and longevity to me from a young age, and the greatest Chozo minds created my powersuit as a gift during my early training." She then chuckled. "The one I have now is actually a stronger version of the original that I would have acquired if I'd been patient, but I wasn't, and at age fourteen, I left to join the Federation Police."

"Is that where you met Adam?" Heartseeker asked curiously.

The blonde-haired woman nodded with a smile. "Yes...and Anthony. I was a teenager at the time, and headstrong...always trying to prove something. It caused a lot of friction within my comrades' ranks since I was the best at nearly _everything_ and _still_ acted as if I had something to prove, but Anthony was patient, and eventually, I came to like having him around. Adam was a different story...he was my commanding officer."

For a long few moments, the two of them were silent before he asked, "What happened between the two of you?"

Samus shrugged. "Me being an idiot, mostly. I disobeyed a direct order, and left the F.P. From then on, I was a bounty hunter...and I didn't hear from Adam for years."

"Whatever happened to your Chozo friends?" Heartseeker asked innocently.

The Hunter's eyes fell to the table as she crossed her arms close to her body, as if hugging herself to block out the pain. "In the universe, this galaxy in particular, there are creatures known as metroids. They are a parasitic life form that feed directly on a victim's life energy, growing larger and stronger in the process. They were created by the Chozo to prey upon another parasite, known simply as the X-parasite. There are many different species of metroids, but the one thing they all share is the desire for a hive leader. Generally speaking, this is either a gamma, omega, or queen metroid, but the Chozo created a sentient hive mind known as the Mother Brain to command them." Samus lowered her head and closed her eyes as she remembered the betrayal wrought upon her adoptive people. "Mother Brain betrayed the Chozo to the Space Pirates, turning the metroids against them and destroying my Chozo family while I was away on F.P. business. I came back to Zebes years later to find it under the command of Mother Brain and the Space Pirates...so I killed them all."

"So that's why..." Heartseeker mumbled.

Samus nodded solemnly. "It's why I hunt them. Beyond being a scourge to the galaxy as a whole, they stole my family from me not once, but twice. It used to be about revenge, but that flame died out a long time ago. Now, it's about righting a wrong. I can almost guarantee I'm not the only one they've wronged in such a way, but I might be the only one that's survived and is able to do something about it...because if I won't fight, maybe no one will." She chuckled darkly as she added, "Anthony told me that lately, there are a few sects within the Galactic Federation that are seeking an alliance with the Space Pirates. Maybe I'm overreacting, but in a few years," she then pointed to Heartseeker, "you and me might be _it_. We might be _the_ last resistance against the Space Pirates soon."

"I don't believe that." he replied sternly. "I don't believe that free people would willingly give up their freedom and happiness to the Space Pirates."

Samus shrugged. "Fine...perhaps there would be others that would be sympathetic to our cause, but we may end up being the only ones to champion such a cause. I have found through my life that many may want something, but few are willing to fight for it."

Heartseeker smiled and said, "Then the three of us will be the few."

She sat back, more than a little surprised at his words. She already respected him for his battle prowess alone, but his thoughtful nature was something pleasantly new recently. It seemed his intellect and determination had grown along with his knowledge, and Samus found herself liking him more and more as time went on.

Perhaps someday soon, she could truly call him "friend".

She allowed herself a smile at the thought...one of the few truly positive things in her life. With enemies around every corner and allies being few and far between, even the potential for a friend was something she clung to. It gave her hope, which was something she rarely offered herself nowadays. After losing the closest thing to a romantic interest she'd ever had ‒ Rundas ‒ she was resistant to bond with anyone outside of a business relationship. Perhaps it was the numbness she'd trained into herself or the strong desire for justice that burned within her, but whatever the reason, she went into every meeting with someone with the disturbing thought that she might one day fail to save them, or even have to kill them herself.

With that thought in mind, she turned her gaze to Heartseeker.

"I want you to promise me something, Heart." she began, a very serious undertone to her words.

He sat up straight, his burning gaze meeting her own. "Yes?"

She sighed before saying, "If ever there should come a time when I become someone I'm not, I want you to end me."

He tilted his head questioningly. "I'm not sure what you're implying."

She breathed deeply before continuing. "Long ago, I fought against a being of incredible power known as Metroid Prime. It was during my personal war with it that I met the Luminoth upon the planet Aether." Her eyes flicked to the table before she said, "Somehow, Metroid Prime merged with my DNA, becoming a being known as Dark Samus...a twisted, pandemic version of myself. She was able to create and manipulate Phazon, which is a highly volatile and hazardous material with strong mutagenic properties. It was with her 'birth' that the 'Phazon Conflict' came about."

"I think you've mentioned that before." he replied.

Samus nodded. "I have, in passing. On a planet called Norion, I came across her _again_ with three allies of mine." As she remembered three of her only friends in the universe, she just barely held back tears. "The first of my allies was Ghor, a cybernetically-enhanced bounty hunter of unknown origin. All we _did_ know about him was that he fought in a liberation war on Wotan VII, where his body was so badly damaged it had to be rebuilt, leaving less than 6% of his original body remaining. His cybernetic body allowed him to integrate with almost anything mechanical, making him a specialist for missions dealing with computers or automated defense systems. After him was Gandrayda, a biomorph bounty hunter. She had the ability to change into nearly any form of a living being that she had seen, even going to so far as to replicate armor and weaponry. This made her a master at infiltration missions."

Samus was silent for a long while, so Heartseeker decided to speak up. "You said there were three...who was the last one?"

The pain that came with remembering became too much to completely hold back, and Samus felt a single tear fall down her cheek. "His name was Rundas. He was a Phrygisian; a native of the moon-planet Phrygis. His people have the ability to generate and manipulate ice, and are known for their fierce loyalty to friends and family." Samus then looked up at Heartseeker. "All three of them were corrupted by Dark Samus, so much so that they became possessed by her, and completely lost who they were to madness. In the end, I was forced to eliminate all three of them."

The mess deck was quiet for a long time before he said, "You had to kill your own friends."

Samus sighed and shrugged. "Well I wouldn't necessarily call them _friends_, but-"

"No." he interrupted, causing her to turn her eyes to his and raise her eyebrow. "Mere allies wouldn't have caused you this much pain, and when you speak about it, I can hear the regret and sorrow in your voice. They were your friends that you cared for...and you had to kill them." He shook his head with a sad, pained chuckle. "I can't imagine what that would be like."

Samus nodded. "That's what I was speaking of though, Heart. As much as I hate to say it, the day may come when _I_ am corrupted that way, and you'll have to put me down."

He was silent for a few long moments before he shakingly replied, "I don't know if I could do that."

"This isn't a joke." Samus replied sternly. "Should I ever turn away from everything I've taught you, I want you to end me. If you don't, I'll threaten the entire galaxy."

He was shocked to the reality of the situation. He couldn't fathom his caretaker ever becoming so..._wrong_. Still, he now understood that the possibility existed, and that he might very well be the only one that could rectify such a situation. He didn't like it, and the very thought made him sick, but for her piece of mind and the galaxy's safety, he would do it if it was ever needed.

Heartseeker nodded slowly. "Very well...I promise."

A small smile creased Samus' face. "Thank you."

He couldn't help but chuckle softly as he said, "Making you happy by promising to kill you is quite possibly the _last_ thing I ever expected to happen."

Samus shrugged with one of her rare, true smiles. "It's a crazy universe we live in."

He grinned. "Indeed. It's a simple story of 'Warrior finds monster, warrior teaches and trains monster, monster promises to kill warrior, warrior and monster are happy'." Heartseeker spoke the words jovially, but stopped once he saw the frown on his mentor's face. "What?"

"Why do you call yourself that?" Samus asked in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

The malleable skin around his left eye rose, in his own rendition of a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's what I am, aren't I? A monster; an abomination. I am the fusion of two races that should never have been crossed, and it created a monster. I do not necessarily _like_ it, but it is a truth I have come to terms with."

It was then that Samus felt a rather alien feeling come over her. All though her life, if another had spoken of themselves as Heartseeker had, she would have kept silent. It was not her business to meddle with how one felt of themselves, nor had she any desire to. However...he was different. She didn't like the fact that he thought of himself as a monster. True that he only recently realized the power the word "monster" held when referring to someone, but for him to call himself that...it pained her.

"You're not a monster, Heart." she argued, surprising herself with the sheer conviction in her voice. She brought her eyes to his, sapphire meeting with fire. "Our appearance doesn't make us who we are. Regardless of what the rest of the galaxy or even the universe thinks, _I_ do not think you to be a monster. I hope that counts for something."

What could be considered a snarl overtook his face, but Samus knew it was merely as close to a smile as his face would allow him. "Thank you, Samus. It counts for everything. If I could have one person know me for who I really am, I am pleased it is you. You have the perspective that few others in the galaxy must possess, so for you to believe me to not be a monster, I am honored."

His heartfelt words touched her soul, because he knew no deceit and knew no lie. She knew that he spoke the truth to her. The fact that he held her in such high esteem came as no surprise, but the words carried an undertone of an emotion more than that. Beyond a simple master/apprentice relationship, she realized it was quickly becoming more like a friendship. She had told him things about her past that she had never told anyone else, because she knew she could trust him to not judge her or downplay the pain she felt because of it all.

His words had touched her...and she felt a warmth in her cheeks, which shocked her.

'_What the hell, am I blushing? What's wrong with me...I don't blush!'_

Samus turned away from him after quickly gathering their platters and mugs, hoping that he hadn't seen the slight pink tinge to her face, or if he had that he wouldn't mention it.

Heartseeker _had_ noticed her change in coloration, but chose not to comment about it. His eyes were much sharper than hers and it would be a miracle for him to miss much of anything if it was in his field of vision, but he also knew that questioning his guardian about such a trivial thing could put tension on her, which was something he preferred to avoid. He wasn't afraid of her of course, because he knew she would be unlikely to actually hurt him over a simple question. No...he simply wished her to be as stress-free as possible. He disliked the way she was forced to often take the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders, though he knew there was no other to do so. He hoped this time on the planet Aether would allow her to unwind a bit.

"Come on, we should get some rest." Samus spoke aloud. "The second cryosleep chamber's modifications finished a few days ago, so it will be able to accommodate your size now. We've got little else to do, so we'll sleep the way there. Adam will wake us up when we approach, won't you Adam?"

The mentioned computer chose to make his presence known at the sound of his name, assuring them. "Of course, Samus. I will monitor the ship's systems and your vitals the entire way there. All will be well."

Heartseeker didn't exactly like the idea of being nearly-frozen for three days, but Samus had assured him during his teachings that it was a perfectly safe and common practice, so he nodded with a sigh. "Very well, let us be on our way then."

* * *

Samus had many ships in her career, but this one was the largest yet. It was the size of a medium-sized apartment, which allowed much more versatility to be built into it. Along with the standard medical bay and washroom, it provided a miniaturized holographic navigational array, sleeping quarters, a small mess deck, and the cryosleep chambers.

With Samus having the need to live away from the searching eyes of the Galactic Federation, the cryosleep chambers were a godsend. It allowed Adam to take them from safe zone to safe zone, no matter how far, while Samus slept the time away.

As she walked with Heartseeker in tow, Samus reflected on just how different her life had become in less than a galactic year.

She now had someone who she could speak to candidly that was both biological and wasn't forever out of reach. After all, Samus knew that she and Anthony would be unlikely to ever see each other in person again, and had been silently lonely because of that fact. Adam had been rather distant even as a man, and as a computer, he had a distinct lack of empathy.

Heartseeker, however, was a blank slate in many ways. He had never known of the horrors Samus had been forced to endure, and yet had been told about them. She hid nothing from him as far as the shadows of the galaxy, but exposed him to them in a controlled manner. He had coped remarkably well, and in some ways Samus envied him for that reason.

"So how exactly does this work?" Heartseeker questioned curiously.

Samus stopped when they reached the larger of the two chambers, and began to explain as she picked up two pieces of equipment. "This visor will go over your eyes, protecting the eye sockets from freezing. The belt will monitor all of your vitals, transmitting them to the main computer console and allowing Adam to make adjustments as needed." She then set the two pieces down on the nearby medical table before pointing to the chamber itself. "It will slowly cool your body to just above 273K, the freezing point of water. As that happens, your blood will slowly be drained and will be replaced with a fluid that will not freeze, which will protect your blood vessels from damage. In this state, we require very little oxygen, the small amount of which can be cycled in the fluid that will be in our veins." She then turned back to him and added, "When we wake up, the process is just reversed. You can expect to feel a little stiff and groggy, but otherwise fine."

Samus then went about quickly fitting him with the belt and visor before helping him into the cryosleep chamber, checking over everything to be sure the modifications were made correctly.

"Will you be there when I wake up?" Heartseeker asked gently, his attempt at a neutral voice betraying his fear.

She looked down to the hybrid and offered him a small, yet genuine smile. "I will. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind." She then grabbed the lid and pulled it down until it locked closed, waving at him. "See you in a bit."

Almost immediately she noticed the glass of the chamber begin to fog, which meant the cooling had already begun in earnest. It was unlikely he could hear or see her anymore, so she turned to walk away, but stopped when she heard a slight tapping on the glass. She turned back and saw Heartseeker place his clawed hand on the glass itself, and without thinking, she gently placed her hand over his. Through the fogging interior, she could just barely make out a smile before the hand dropped away, so she smiled to herself and made her way to her own cryosleep chamber.

"Coming to care for him, are you?" Adam mused aloud.

Samus shook her head as she began donning her cryosleep gear. "It would be impossible for me not to, after practically teaching him everything he knows. You know well that I'm not the cold Hunter everyone makes me out to be."

"And you should know that you have a tendency to deny your own emotions, so that may be where that skewed view of you comes from." Adam replied in a teasing manner.

Samus nodded as she tightened the belt around her waist and fitted the visor to her eyes. "He's different than anyone else though. I'm unsure if it's the way he's been exposed to things of if it's simply _him_, but he's unique in many ways."

For a long few moments, Adam was silent before asking, "Could you ever call him friend?"

Samus thought long and hard on that question, knowing that it was pointless to lie to Adam. Eventually, she came to an answer that would satisfy both of them without raising too many hopes.

"I think he already may be, but it's something I need to sort out with myself first. I haven't had any true friends Adam, so I'm unsure what that's like." she explained.

"True," he countered, "but that also means you have nothing to base it off of."

Samus realized he had a point, but also knew that this answer would not simply come to her. She needed to work it out with Heartseeker, but since he was already incapacitated...

"I'll sleep on it." she said smugly.

Adam said nothing, but activated the cryosleep system as soon as Samus' chamber was closed. He then devoted all his attention to keeping the ship's current course, as well as keeping the two slumbering beings in his care.

"Sleep well, Samus."


	6. Ch 6: Haven to the Star

**A/N: Damn...it's been a long-assed time for this update. Apologies for that, but work has kept me busy, as well as the fall semester of college coming up. Anyway, I worked hard on this for all of us, so I do pray that you enjoy. Please R&R and let me know what you thought of it.**

**To ThatGalladeAcrossTheStreet - Of course this story is still going...they all are, unless marked "Complete".**

**To RidleyXD - See, I thought of going that way, but there are already a few stories out there just like that. I decided to take things rather differently, and I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out. On another note, your english grammar and spelling is much better than most people who have english as their first language. I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing.**

******Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with the Metroid franchise in any shape or form.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Haven to the Star

The waking world came back to Samus slowly, as it usually did whenever she used the cryosleep chamber. First came her sensation of touch, then her hearing and sense of smell, and then lastly her sight.

As usual, she was shivering and her nose was running as she pushed open the glass door of the sleep chamber, but she reminded herself that these two "symptoms" were signs that her body was normalizing. That, of course, didn't make the process any easier, but she could put up with it.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty." Samus heard Adam quip mirthfully.

She removed the visor from her face and undid the belt with shaking hands before dropping it on the medical table beside her. "Y-you're t-t-too cheerful f-for your own good, A-Adam. All th-the same, thanks f-for watching over us-s."

"Of course, Samus." he replied.

She struggled to control the near-convulsions her body was performing in an attempt to warm up, and stood tall, making a conscious effort to keep her teeth from chattering. "H-have you begun to w-wake Heartseeker yet?"

A moment of silence followed before the computer replied, "Yes. I thought it better to start his awakening process after yours, as it would be better if he could see you when he came to...for safety purposes." A few seconds later and the familiar hiss of depressurization accompanied the opening of the larger sleep chamber across the room. "Ah, there he is."

Samus began to make her way over to the cryosleep chamber, but was stopped when she saw the state of Heartseeker. "Heart? Are you alright?"

The large hybrid rose out of the sleep chamber, but looked arguably more pale than she ever remembered. He stood on shaky legs, but immediately fell to his knees and clutched his midsection. "Ugh...I don't feel good."

Samus was about to walk over and comfort him, but noticed drops of what looked like molten energy falling from the corners of his mouth. Without so much as another thought, she activated her Varia Suit and dragged Heartseeker over to the freight bay of the ship, sealing the door once she did so.

Samus then turned to the ill-looking hybrid and said, "When the freight bay doors open, whatever feels like is going to happen to you, just let it out into space." She then hit the button to depressurize and once that was finished, she opened the freight doors and waited.

As she watched, Heartseeker slowly stood and braced one clawed hand against the wall, and the other held onto her armored shoulder. His eyes suddenly flared brightly, and he opened his mouth, sending a gout of plasma into space. For a long few moments the stream of deadly energy continued to spew into the vacuum of space, until finally it stopped. A few seconds passed as Heartseeker composed himself, until he finally turned to her and nodded. Samus hit the panel to close the freight bay doors, and once they were shut, repressurized the freight bay. The red light above the door nearby changed to green, and she and Heartseeker stepped inside the ship once again.

It had been a lucky find when Samus had learned that like Ridley, Heartseeker could "breathe" in space, respiring with the dark matter that filled the seemingly empty space around them instead of normal air. It was one of the many things she and Adam had found strange and useful, as Heartseeker was the only one of the three of them that could safely traverse space without the need for a ship (Samus could not because she needed to breathe oxygen, and Adam because...well, he _was_ the ship).

As the two stumbled back into the cryosleep area, Heartseeker nearly fell from the exertion so soon after waking. Instead of completely righting him again, Samus gently set the larger being down on the floor against the wall as comfortably as she could, giving him a second to gather his bearings. She then removed her helmet and placed it beside them before taking a knee in front of him.

"So," she began in a light tone, "it seems like you learned how to use your plasma."

Heartseeker chuckled dryly and replied, "I'm not sure 'learned' is the correct term. It was more akin to having my body hijacked by the energy, and I had to get it out or risk exploding...at least that's what it _felt_ like." He then brought his hand to his chest as he looked down. "I can still feel it even now, burning. Not painful really, just..._warm_. It's like it's waiting for something."

"Probably waiting for you to let it out again, Heart." Samus observed. She shook her head as she added, "I can't pretend to know how your ability with plasma works, but I'm pretty sure it is yours to control now. When we're in a safe place again, you can practice it to get it better under control so you can use it reliably and without danger. There are a few areas upon Aether that the Luminoth warriors use as training areas that could fit our needs."

"Speaking of Aether," Adam began gently, taking care to not interrupt rudely, "we've arrived. Landing procedures have already begun, and I assume we can expect the planetary defense force to hail us soon for landing clearance. That means you'll be needed in the cockpit, Samus."

"Be right there." she answered to her computer before turning back to Heartseeker. "So all things considered, how are you feeling now?"

He rolled his shoulders with a grimace. "Groggy and stiff, but I don't feel like I'm going to explode anymore. So all things considered, pretty good."

Samus smiled at the knowledge that he was not hurt by the surprising outburst of energy and offered her armored hand to him as she picked up her helmet. "Come on, let's get to the cockpit and prepare for arrival."

* * *

The yellow and red Hunter-class gunship landed gently at the landing dock of Aether, outside the Temple Grounds. Samus found it strange and somewhat nostalgic that the dock was in the same cavern she had crashed into during her first excursion to the planet, but didn't see fit to question the orders of Planetary Control. At one time, Samus had been proud of her ship's markings, as it identified her to anyone and everyone she came across. Now, however, it only made her stand out, which in most cases made her paranoid. True that Aether was a safe haven for her, but it was unknown when and where the G.F.'s hounds would come sniffing.

As opposed to the last time Samus had spent time on Aether, guards were stationed at the landing platform, most likely because of Samus advising them that she had brought a plus-one with her. U-Mos would of course welcome Heartseeker with open arms, since he knew how difficult it was for Samus to trust another, but that didn't mean that the other Luminoth were as open-minded.

As the two prepared to leave the ship, Samus turned to the tall hybrid as she clicked her helmet into place. "Now the Luminoth are going to be a little edgy around you. I want you to know that it's not your fault or anything...they're just wary of strangers after the whole thing with the Ing and Dark Aether. Just stay close to me and only make eye contact with those that approach you directly." She then looked him over and added, "And don't slouch. I know your initial instinct would be to appear as less of a threat, but the warriors of the Luminoth despise weakness. Carry yourself proudly and respectably, and let me do the talking."

He nodded as they stood together and waited for the entrance capsule to descend to the ground. Originally being made for just Samus, it was a bit cramped, but they made due for the few moments it took to descend.

As soon as the pod landed upon the ground, the two stepped out, only to be greeted by four heavily armed guards. The youngest of them stepped forward with his battle staff drawn and glowing. "Halt. You will relinquish your weapons and armor for inspection, and will await the arrival of the Sentinel for escort."

Samus knew better than to argue with jumpy soldiers, so with a sigh she removed her suit pieces one by one until she wore nothing more than her helmet and zero suit. Before the young leader could object, she assured, "There are no weapons on this, and I need it to be able to speak with you. I can't speak the language of your people otherwise...human vocal chords don't allow it."

The soldier stared her down for a moment before stepping away and nodding. "Very well, you may keep your headpiece. Sentinel U-Mos will arrive shortly."

As the soldiers stepped further away and began inspecting her powersuit, Heartseeker scooted a bit closer and commented, "I thought these were friends of yours."

Samus nodded. "They are, and I'm well-known as a hero of this planet, so for them to be acting this cautiously, something must have happened. Something bad." Reflexively, she looked up at the sky and released a sigh of relief at the clear skies. "Luckily, the Ing and Dark Aether seem to be gone for good, so I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with that. Still, the Luminoth warriors aren't anything to scoff at, so for them to be this way, it has to still be serious."

"Do you think they'll ask you for help?" Heartseeker asked curiously.

Samus shrugged. "That depends, really. The Luminoth are a proud race, so they won't ask for assistance unless they _absolutely_ need it. That being said, they aren't stupid either. They know if and when they're outmatched, and will seek assistance in some way if it's needed. I'll ask U-Mos when he gets here."

Heartseeker idly watched as the soldiers looked over Samus' powersuit and asked, "So what of this 'U-Mos'? Is he their leader or something? Like a king?"

Samus chuckled and shook her head. "He's their leader, but more like a protector than anything else. He doesn't actually rule over them. He merely watches out for their wellbeing and safety."

He studied her for a moment before stating, "You hold a great amount of respect for him, don't you?"

She nodded with a small smile. "Yes. He was willing to hold off an army of monsters alone while his people slept in stasis. Had I not arrived when I did, he probably would have been killed. He wasn't of course, but what makes me respect him is the fact that he was ready to die for a cause he believed in. There aren't many people left in the galaxy that can honestly say they have something or someone they would be willing to die for if needed, among my people or otherwise. I don't buy into martyrdom on many accounts, but in an effort to save one's people, I can see the reason behind it."

"Sentinel U-Mos approaches! At attention!" the guard leader announced. Immediately the soldiers placed Samus' armor and armcannon on the ground before standing up straight with a fist on their chests.

The familiar red-accented Luminoth approached, opting to levitate above the ground instead of walk normally. Samus nodded for Heartseeker to follow her to a knee with a bowed head, which he did without question.

U-Mos narrowed his eyes at the scene before him and asked, "Why has Samus Aran been disarmed? She is no enemy of the Luminoth."

The young lead soldier dropped his salute and stepped forward. "By your orders, any human visiting Aether is to be searched and await your escort."

U-Mos sighed and shook his head. "I suppose I _did_ give such an order. Very well, I will amend that previous order by saying that Samus is the exception to that rule. She is the savior of Aether, and is a friend to our people. Please return her armor and arms." The soldiers complied without another word while U-Mos made his way to the kneeling pair. "Arise, Samus and guest."

The two rose to stand again, and Samus smiled at the Sentinel. "U-Mos, I would like you to meet Heartseeker. He is the prime research subject of the lab I destroyed."

The Sentinel's eyes widened ever so slightly as he looked to the hybrid, who came up to his chest. "Well, I am impressed. I did not expect to see anything from that atrocity left alive. You must have seen something in him."

Samus nodded as she remembered her journey to the station. "I saw a being that didn't ask to be. He was created simply to satisfy a twisted human's curiosity, but as far as I could tell, was a blank slate. He didn't deserve to die for the sins of his maker."

U-Mos smiled in the way that only a Luminoth could, and offered a gentle bow to the hybrid before him. "Well then, it is an honor Heartseeker. Welcome to Aether, home of the Luminoth. I am U-Mos, sentinel of my people, and one of the few survivors of the Ing Conflict. As you are a friend of Samus Aran, you are by extension an honored guest of my people." He then rose to his full height and gestured to the elevator tube behind them that led to the Great Temple. "Come, let us make our way to a more comfortable place where we can talk."

* * *

A short amount of time later (and a few excited greetings from youngsters), the three found themselves in the Main Energy Controller chamber, which had been renovated with the rest of the Great Temple to house the planet's inhabitants. The Main Energy Controller held the Sentinel's quarters, so that he could be as close to the lifegiving planetary energy as possible, to see it safe.

Samus still marveled at the energy that flowed across the world, quite literally being the planet's beating heart. She remembered the suit created from said energy that allowed her to travel at unimaginable speed along the beams of light. In truth, she actually missed some things about the Aetherine Light Suit, as it was one of the most powerful suit modifications she'd come across so far. She wasn't one for the novelty of any upgrades she came across, but realized just how useful such a powerful suit could be in many different situations.

In the company of U-Mos and Heartseeker, Samus did not wear her Varia suit, instead choosing to wear only her Zero suit. She had told U-Mos of what she had come across on the station where she found Heartseeker, as well as what she had been doing for the past few months.

U-Mos, by his token, was intrigued by the hybrid before him. By what he had come to understand, he was only half the size of his progenitor, but still held many of the same abilities. The burning eyes were what caught his attention the most, as they gave him a very fierce and dangerous appearance. From what he could tell though, the hybrid seemed rather calm and reserved.

Calm and reserved was always good in U-Mos' book.

As Samus finished her explanation, the Sentinel turned back to her and commented, "So I understand you've been quite busy as of late. Will you not stay awhile? So often are you fighting...it would do you good to find time to relax and rejuvenate not only your body, but your soul as well."

Heartseeker threw his clawed hands into the air with a groan. "That's _exactly_ what I've been saying! We have to enjoy the slow moments when they come to us, because we don't know when we'll be able to relax again."

U-Mos was caught off-guard by the sudden passion of Heartseeker, but also found it amusing as he chuckled with his natural, echoing voice.

Samus sighed and dropped her chin to her chest. "Alright _fine_, I suppose we can stay a bit if we're not imposing."

U-Mos shook his head. "It is no imposition, I assure you. I would be honored to offer room and board for the warrior who saved my world, and her esteemed guest."

"Then I would humbly accept your invitation, Sentinel." Samus replied with a smile. She looked to Heartseeker, who motioned to his mouth and wings, before turning back to the Luminoth. "Oh, one other thing, if you please." U-Mos nodded, so she continued while gesturing to Heartseeker. "He has a few abilities to develop that I can't necessarily teach him to use, such as his plasma and his wings. Now obviously he'll have to simply practice with the former, but I was hoping that perhaps some of your warriors might be able to teach him to fly."

The Luminoth narrowed his eyes as he thought before nodding. "That seems agreeable. We have training areas set up in the Agon Plains, so you're welcome to train there with our soldiers. I will advise them of your needs. I believe they can teach Heartseeker to use his wings in a useful manner."

Heartseeker's eyes blazed in excitement as he bounced a bit on his toes. "Really? That would be _amazing_ and I would be _so_ grateful!"

Samus couldn't help but smile at the amount of excitement he showed. It hadn't been often so far he had been so animated, so she found it refreshingly enjoyable to see it.

U-Mos nodded once again. "Very well, then I will escort you to the training grounds." Then, using his telepathy, he sent to Samus, _"__You and I must speak of important matters."_

Samus nodded before following the Sentinel and Heartseeker towards the Agon Plains, finding it strangely gratifying that it was no longer referred to as the Wastes.

* * *

As the trio arrived at the training area that was located in the Agon Temple, Samus smirked at the expressions she garnered from the young warriors there. Most were eyeing her with confusion or arrogance, thinking it unlikely that such a flimsy being could have saved their entire planet from destruction.

Heartseeker too was receiving quite a lot of attention. None of the Luminoth had ever come upon something like him before, and most were eager to spar with him.

U-Mos motioned for the other two to wait while he stepped forward into the grounds and announced, "This is Samus Aran, the hero of the War of the Ing, and her companion Heartseeker." He then motioned to the hybrid and added, "Heartseeker wishes to train his abilities, and requests instruction in flight. Will any of you honor him with their knowledge?"

Two identical young Luminoth immediately stepped forward, excitement clearly showing in their eyes. The slightly taller of the two answered in english, "I am X-Pul, and this is my younger brother, V-Pul. We would be honored to show another the ways of flight." His eyes then narrowed, and an implied smirk could be heard in his voice as he said, "However, he must prove himself worthy of our respect."

The younger sibling nodded. "We propose a bout between the three of us, two against one. Should you last more than one minute, we shall train you." The two brothers then patiently awaited an answer.

Samus looked up at U-Mos, who simply shrugged, so she turned to Heartseeker. "Well, what do you think? Are you up for it?"

Heartseeker looked over the two Luminoth soldiers before asking, "What do _you_ think? With what you've taught me, could I take them out without killing them?"

Samus picked apart her mind for what she knew about Luminoth abilities and sparring practices. From the short talks she'd had here and there with U-Mos, she knew quite a bit about his kind. She knew they were very agile and had excellent eyesight, and their reflexes were so fast, it bordered on precognition. Their long, graceful limbs were much stronger than they appeared, and their strength was bolstered by both training and the Light of Aether, as they had the ability to draw a portion of the planet's power for their own use in combat. She knew that they were honorable, and would not resort to cheap tactics simply to win, such as using telekinetics against an opponent that had none.

Samus shifted her eyes to Heartseeker. "Well, it'll be a crazy battle no matter what. Regardless of how it goes, it'll be frighteningly short. This is one of those fights that can be finished by a single attack from either side." She then eyed him with a frown and said, "But you can't use your tail. It's part of their honor system for sparring ‒ if they don't have one, you can't use one."

Heartseeker glanced at himself and the Luminoth a few times before looking down at his hands. "So just my arms and legs then. Alright." He then looked to the two brothers. "I accept your challenge."

U-Mos nodded, and nearly immediately, all the Luminoth gathered flew away to a safe distance, leaving only him, Samus, and the three fighters.

"Alright Heart," Samus began as he rolled his shoulders a bit to loosen them up, "they're agile, and their reflexes are unreal compared to even my own, but their bodies are still bound by physics. This means that even if they _see_ an attack coming, they aren't necessarily going to be able to get out of the way. You're stronger than them _and_ faster. They might be taller, but that just means they don't have as much stability as you ‒ they'll be easier to knock down. I recommend finding out which one is less of a threat and take him out as fast as you can. Then it'll just be you and the one that's left."

He nodded before asking, "Any generic Luminoth weaknesses I should know about?"

Samus shook her head. "That goes back to the honor system. They don't know your weaknesses, so you can't know theirs. Just pay attention and learn quick, and you'll be alright." Then, without really knowing why, she felt compelled to add, "I believe in you, Heart." For safety measures, she donned her Varia Suit, much to the surprise of most of the Luminoth present. Samus then stepped away to a safe distance next to U-Mos and a few others, waiting for the match to begin.

U-Mos stepped forward and announced, "This battle is between the two of Pul and Heartseeker. Loss is determined by yielding, or a knockdown of twenty seconds." With that, he stepped away to stand next to Samus, and the air itself seemed to buzz with tense energy.

Suddenly, faster than she could blink, the elder of the two siblings rushed forward. He jumped into the air a few feet in front of Heartseeker and raised his leg up high above his head before snapping it down with frightening speed. The blow crashed into the hybrid's skull, bringing him to the ground in a heap with a sickening thud.

The Luminoth attacker stepped back to his brother, looking rather pleased with himself when his opponent did not move.

Samus stared at Heartseeker, her worried frown thankfully hidden by her helmet.

"Get up." she whispered as she disabled her comm systems. "Please...get up, Heart."

For a painful few moments, the grounded Heartseeker was motionless. Not so much as a twitch of his muscles or the rise and fall of his chest showed that he was even _alive_. Samus began to silently panic. Had she overestimated his durability? Had he been _killed_?

Then came a twitch of a finger, and then a loud growl as Heartseeker pushed off of the ground and stood as if nothing had happened. He then planted his clawed feet and threw his head back, letting out a loud screech of a roar that sounded a little too similar to Ridley for Samus' comfort. Nonetheless, she was silently cheering with a goofy smile to herself at the fact that not only was Heartseeker okay, but he was clearly ready to fight.

The two brothers looked at one another and nodded before dashing forward towards their opponent, who reacted by crouching and sheltering himself within his powerful wings. The two siblings began to rain blows of both foot and hand upon the wings themselves, producing sounds similar to that of a drum. It was clear to Samus that the two Luminoth were putting their all into the assault, but the wings did not give in, and Heartseeker did not fall again.

And then it happened.

Much like Samus had warned, the match ended with one well-placed maneuver. As quick as lightning, Heartseeker burst out of his cocoon of wings and grabbed both of his attackers in his arms, holding them against his chest, facing away from him. Samus then noticed his arms bulging as he applied pressure, and a moment later there came a loud *SNAP* of a limb being broken.

With startling speed, the elder sibling, X-Pul, closed his trapped right hand into a fist, then opened it, and then repeated the gesture.

"X-Pul submits!" U-Mos announced to the spectators. The younger brother of the opponents widened his eyes before completing the same gesture, and U-Mos added, "V-Pul submits! The match has ended!" As he said this, all assembled waited for Heartseeker to release his opponents...but he didn't.

Instead, he only squeezed them tighter.

Samus reactivated her communicator with a simple thought and shouted, "Heart, let them go!"

Immediately Heartseeker's eyes shot to Samus, and he released the two Luminoth soldiers without a second thought. He then retracted his wings and took a knee to the ground, looking over his sparring partners. "Are you two alright?"

The younger sibling holds his mangled left arm with his right, clearly showing that the carapace had cracked. Still, he offered a nod to Heartseeker as he stood. "It will heal."

X-Pul then stood as well next to his brother, inspecting the injury before looking back to the hybrid being. "Well, I am impressed. I was sure that blow to your skull would have ended the bout. As promised, we shall teach you what we know about flight." He then bowed reverently. "It was a privilege to engage one so naturally talented as you." X-Pul stood again and inclined his head towards a far away part of the temple. "Come, we shall begin immediately."

Samus watched as the three stepped away from the rest of the group leaving her and a very stunned number of Luminoth behind. Out of respect, Samus deactivated her Varia Suit, again leaving her wearing nothing but a skintight bodysuit. She sighed as she again breathed in the fresh air of Aether, glad to be able to nearly _taste_ the peace in the air itself.

"You care deeply for that one." U-Mos commented in an amused tone. As Samus looked up to him with concern, but he simply shook his head. "I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, I expected it."

She shrugged, pushing her nervousness away. "It was inevitable, I suppose. I practically molded him into what he is, as no one else would. I certainly could not leave him to die on his own. That would be cruel, even for me."

U-Mos shook his head again. "That is not what I meant Samus, and you know it. I sense a deep reservoir of emotion within you, most of which is directed in some way towards your friend. I also sense confusion." He walked towards a small alcove in the wall behind them, taking a seat in a woven wood chair before beckoning Samus to join him. As she took a seat in the chair across from him, he questioned, "Might I inquire about your feelings on the matter?"

Samus thought for a moment before answering, "It's rather simple, really. I care for him as a friend should, and I trust him...more than I've ever trusted anyone else before. What confuses me is the fact that I am not worried about how quickly it happened. It seemed that within only a few months, I came to know that I could safely put my life in his hands, and he would not betray me. Where normally I would be suspicious or skeptical of such a thing, I find myself not caring whatsoever. I _know_ without a doubt that he would _never_ betray me willingly. What confuses me is _how_ I know that. It's not a feeling I'm familiar with, and as you know, I don't like things I don't understand. Emotions and people aren't things I have much experience with." She motioned to the templed filled with Luminoth. "I mean, I just pray every moment that I won't screw up and alienate you or your people. I can honestly say that your world is one of only three that I can call friendly, and it scares me that I could lose that if I mess up."

U-Mos seemed to smile as he shook his head. "You are the savior of my entire world, as well as the honorable daughter of a Chozo high priest. There is nothing you could do short of betraying us to the Space Pirates that would make me or any of the others shun you. You have proven your worth to us, as well as your drive to bring about harmony in the galaxy itself. I understand you have little experience with personal relationships, but one such as you have with my people is not something that can be given or taken whimsically. For better or worse, you are as much a part of our lives as the Light."

Formally being told exactly how much she meant to U-Mos and his people brought a warm lightness to Samus' chest, and she couldn't keep the smile from coming to her face.

As the other Luminoth had spread out again, training and mingling with their new guest, a frown overtook her face as she wondered about the state of the world itself. Her "welcoming" in particular struck her as rather strange, especially for the peaceful Luminoth people. They true that she wasn't an expert on the people themselves, but even with nearly being exterminated by the Ing, she hadn't thought them to be a particularly paranoid race of people. Even now, they welcomed Heartseeker with open arms, regardless of what he looked like. This in turn just confused her even more.

Luckily for Samus, the answer to her unspoken question could be learned rather quickly.

"U-Mos?" she called to the Sentinel, waiting until he turned to look at her. "I noticed that your soldiers seem rather on-edge, and mentioned that any human that lands on the planet is to be disarmed and wait for your personal escort, I assume under penalty of an arrest of some sort. What I wish to know is why exactly. Why the caution towards humans?"

U-Mos' eyes narrowed a bit as he responded in a cold tone, "They are searching for you, Samus. Not a week after you left us to destroy the station you spoke of, three human ships from the Galactic Federation landed here, asking if we have had any direct contact with you recently."

Samus raised her eyebrow. "And?"

He chuckled deeply, shaking his head. "I know well enough when to withhold information, Samus. I told them that the Ing Conflict was the last I had heard from you. What worries me is the fact that after that initial visit, single scout ships have been stopping in here and there for 'diplomatic meetings' with me and my kind. What they failed to realize is that our planetary defense force is well aware of the visual difference between diplomats and soldiers, so they were still told nothing. I believe the fact that we saw through their deception is what angers them the most. They thought my people naive and innocent to the ways of shadows, but they forget we were forced to live such a life in the battle with the Ing."

"So the orders your soldiers were under at the landing pad...?" she haltingly questioned.

U-Mos nodded. "It was for your protection, Samus. The soldiers of the Luminoth follow each order to the letter, and so because I did not specify your exception, they did not see reason to take the initiative themselves."

Samus smiled and let loose a relaxed breath of relief. "Thank you, U-Mos. I can't tell you how good it feels. So I suppose that's why I was ordered to land so far away from the temple, yes?"

He nodded again. "It is a shielded dock, as you saw, and was built with you in mind. I oversaw the construction myself, knowing that the Federation was searching for you, and assumed it would come into use sooner or later."

She let a loose chuckle out as she said, "You Luminoth...always thinking ahead."

U-Mos seemed to brighten a bit in mirth before his eyes took on a rather stern expression. "I fear what will happen in the immediate future, Samus. All Luminoth know of your deeds, and to hear the humans speak dishonorably of you so often has many of them beginning to cry out for a denial of haven for them here on Aether. My people are bordering on outright hostility with your kind, and I am unsure if there is much I am able to do to stop it." His demeanor then softened a bit as he said, "No matter what happens in the coming cycles, know that you always have a home here. We will stand with you, Star of the Chozo, until the end...whatever that may be."

Samus was frozen in surprise. To be extended such things by a Luminoth Sentinel was an unheard of honor for her, but to be referred to as the "Star of the Chozo" was something she had never even entertained before. Samus _knew_ there were things she had done that no other could, and she _knew_ that many would have ran away and hid when she stood firm in defiance. Still, she had never expected to be known as someone so important. The praise of a Luminoth was extremely difficult to come by, so for U-Mos to give it so freely to her, she was quite obviously thought very highly of.

She regained her senses and smirked at the Sentinel. "This is a pretty deep conversation not to have any drinks."

U-Mos shrugged. "That can be arranged." He then stood and gestured with his head out of the temple. "Heartseeker will have much to catch up on in order to properly use his wings, so it is safe to say he will be occupied for quite some time. In the meantime, I recommend you and I find something for you to eat. I know what travel food is like, and I _know_ you could use a good meal."

Samus' stomach growled in agreement, and she smiled sheepishly. "I guess that's a yes. I'm not sure what Luminoth eat, but-"

U-Mos shook his head. "Worry not. I am well aware of what your people consume for sustenance. While it is true that many of the animals you would normally partake of do not exist here, I believe we have enough to work with that you will find the meal acceptable. After that, I order you to relax and let the stress of your life fade away, if only temporarily."

Samus smirked at him as she stood to follow. She knew that _he_ knew how much she _hated_ to be ordered to do much of _anything_, but she also knew he didn't really mean it. All the same, she couldn't very well turn down the offer for a good meal and relaxation from a Sentinel of Aether. That would just be rude.

* * *

Samus moaned with delight in what could easily be mistaken as a lascivious manner as she chewed the delectable meal. She swallowed and pointed to the finely-seared steak and asked, "And what is this?"

"Brizgee." U-Mos replied. "Difficult to prepare, but very tasty."

She nodded and pointed to strips of fried vegetation, with the consistency of a potato, but violet. "And these?"

He smiled as she greedily ate the meal prepared for her. "Ramas root. It grows in the Agon Plains in a symbiotic relationship with sandgrass. The sandgrass provides it food, while the root provides the sandgrass with a filtering system for its roots."

Samus smiled as she polished off the rest of the meal before her, then sat back with a smile. "No joke, that is probably the best meal I've had for the better part of two decades."

U-Mos nodded as he gathered up the square plate-like dishware and eating utensils, then set them aside to clean later. He then fixed her with a penetrating stare. "Now, I have asked for a suite to be set up on the beachfront of the coastal plains of Torvus. It has taken some time, but the forest finally drained, and is now teeming with life again, so the beach has become a popular spot for our people to spend free time."

Samus raised an eyebrow with a smile threatening to show. "And is the water safe to swim in?"

He nodded. "The aquatic predators of the Crystal Sea don't stray near the beach. They have learned through the generations that to do so is to be caught by my people as food."

Samus' eyebrow didn't fall. "And that kind of behavior can be taught to animals through the generations?"

Again, he nodded. "Of course. The best tactics for life are passed down by the survivors, and the survivors are the ones that avoid the shore. Those instincts in turn get passed down through the line, until such a thing becomes genetic behavior in itself."

Finally, she nodded. "Okay. When you explain it that way, I guess that makes sense. Usually Adam does that kind of thinking for me."

"Ah yes, your computerized friend from a time long-passed." he replied solemnly. His expression then turned curious as he said, "I've become rather fascinated with your relationship with this Adam. I apologize in advance for being frank, but exactly what does he mean to you?"

Having been asked the question before by Heartseeker, she had a more prepared response now. "Well, he's a lot like another father to me. I mean, when he was still a human, he was only a few years older than me, but he was a lot more...I don't know, mature. Like he'd seen more and done more than everyone else his age." She then smiled wistfully. "He was always looking out for me, even back then. He never acted like it, but I could tell he cared about me a lot...which just made me leaving the G.F. hurt him so much more. He died so that I could live, and I have no doubt that if he had the chance, he'd do it again." Her smile only grew larger as she added, "He's one of only a few people left that I can trust implicitly."

U-Mos nodded gently. "And for one such as you, I suspect that trust is far from easy to come across, yes?" Samus merely nodded with a somber expression, so U-Mos quickly changed the subject. "Well to answer your questions, the water is indeed safe to swim in, so long as you stay away from the second sandbar, and our day star's light radiates very little ultraviolet light, so it is safe for you to be outside for extended lengths of time. I am sure you would appreciate being able to observe the beauty of nature without it trying to kill you."

Samus sent a mental message to her Zero suit, causing it to recede around her hands. She held the pale-skinned appendages up and inspected them before grimacing. "Yeah, I'm getting a little pasty." She allowed the suit to cover her hands again before looking back to U-Mos. "Well, I'll take that rest then, if you're offering it."

U-Mos nodded as he gestured to the doorway out of the chamber, and Samus followed him as they departed from the Light of Aether.

* * *

It had been far too long since Samus had seen a beach and not been fighting on it, and she took in the scenery with a smile as she inhaled the salty ocean air. Thankfully for her, there was so much about Aether that was similar to pre-war Zebes, namely the water and air quality. This allowed her, even if just for a moment, to reminisce about her early life with her Chozo family. The black sand of the Aetherine beach told her that there was an underwater volcano somewhere nearby, but it was still as beautiful to her as she could have hoped. Peace was something so rarely experienced by her, so she made it a point to enjoy this sliver of serenity for as long as it could last.

As they rounded a bend on the beach and passed under a massive natural stone archway, Samus noticed a rather quaint looking beach house in the distance. Her heightened sight told her that it was a recent addition to Aether, and was constructed solely to bring about a peaceful feeling to whomever stayed in it. She could tell the effect was already working, as the soft colors and smooth construction calmed her dramatically.

A few minutes of silent walking later, Samus and U-Mos stood in front of the quaint building. She marveled at the craftsmanship that went into the structure, and turned curiously to the Luminoth next to her. "How long ago was this built?"

U-Mos' eyes seemed to smile slightly as he replied, "It is a rather recent addition. Strictly speaking, it is what you might refer to as my 'vacation home', gifted to me for shepherding my people in times of strife. Truth be told I prefer the mountains to the beach, but the sentiment was appreciated." He then levitated up and over the railing and gestured to the home for the woman waiting down below. "For now, it is yours for as long as you need it. Allow the home and environment to soothe your woes, and make good use of the time you have here, for however long that may be. For one who fights so often, you must take whatever respite you can."

Samus crouched low before springing off of the sand, a combination of her unnatural physical strength and her excitement causing her to sail the twelve feet over the railing and onto the wooden deck. She stood and took a look around before frowning at the Luminoth next to her. "Not that I don't appreciate this Sentinel, but I don't like getting handouts."

U-Mos shook his head with a chuckle. "Take it as a reward for saving my people and my world. And, if you are still feeling as if you haven't earned this, there are quite a few of the young warriors that would love to train with the Savior of Aether."

She pursed her lips and bobbed her head from side to side before looking to U-Mos and nodding. "Deal."

The Sentinel nodded. "Very well then. The cold box will be stocked every afternoon with fresh food suitable for your palate. From what I understand of your kind, many of the facilities built into this place should suit your needs, but should we have overlooked anything, simply let me know. You know where to find me." With a humble bow he levitated into the air. "I will advise young Heartseeker of where this place is. Rest well, Samus Aran."

Samus watched as he floated away towards Agon, and smiled gently at the sheer amount of generosity the Luminoth had shown her as a whole. Though in truth Samus never expected to be thanked or praised for what she was often forced to do for the galaxy, it _was_ nice to receive sincere gratitude every now and then.

The Hunter made her way into the home and did an initial inspection, finding that in comparison to the rest of the domiciles she'd seen so far, this one was far more comfortable and "homey". Several cushioned pieces of furniture could be found scattered throughout the six-roomed building, including a large bed, two sofas, and a shaded bench swing outside. All in all, it made Samus a little jealous of the humans that could live like this, being ignorant to the horrors of the cosmos. She quickly shoved the thought away though, and continued her tour of the home itself.

Soon she came upon an enclosed area that had something like plastic along the floor, along with what could only be...

"A shower..." she breathed in joy, "a _real _shower. Thank you, U-Mos. Thank you."

A mental command was sent to her suit, and a millisecond later it retreated to the strange glyph-like marking on her back. Once her suit had fully exposed her, the marking flashed brightly once before completely disappearing, leaving her to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror for what seemed like the first time in decades.

Samus was far from ignorant to much of anything anymore, and she knew better than anyone just what sort of talk about her went on among the G.F. soldiers, even before she was "exiled". She'd caught whispers here and there of different rumors directed at her, which were commonplace because of how little anyone knew about her, and honestly she found _most_ of them amusing if anything. Remarks like, "She can fight Space Pirates all day and turn into a little ball. I bet she fucks like a wildcat," were simply hilarious. No one _dared_ to say such things aloud around her of course, but she wasn't stupid. She knew the things that were said about her, and she knew that more often than not, it was simply a way for the soldiers to distract themselves from the fear of dying. It was no secret that the average service time for a G.F. marine was less than a year, when the contract of service was for two.

Still, catching sight of her naked body began to stir some very unsettling thoughts in Samus' mind.

She nervously rubbed her hand along the back of her neck as she looked herself over, and realized just how wrong some of those rumors were. One such rumor was a bit of a fantasy that under all her armor, Samus' body was that of a goddess: pristine and perfect. The truth was far more grim, however. Numerous scars ran along her body, some small, some once life-threatening, but all a reminder to her of just what her profession had nearly cost her, many times. In the reflection before her stood not some frail delicate woman, but a hardened warrior who was no stranger to conflict. Strong yet lithe muscle wrapped her entire body in a cocoon of physical power, without which she knew she could not have survived as long as she had. Only the curves that came with being a human female defined her as a woman, as even underneath her ample bust, thick cords of muscle ran across her chest.

Samus had never been a very vain person, but a strange and decidedly disturbing thought wormed its way into her mind: '_Would anyone want me?'_

Such a personal thought was not something Samus allowed herself often at all, this being the only time she could remember such a thing coming to mind, but the nagging thought persisted. As she continued to mentally critique herself, she turned to the side and lifted her chest a bit as she ran her hand over her flat, toned stomach. She was very tall for a woman, being 6'2", and much more dense than most as well. In her Zero suit or nude, anyone could tell she was undoubtedly a woman, but with so little time spent actually thinking about such things, the thoughts took her mind and began to run rampant.

Her mind began to call forth images to mind of people she had known, and as she scanned through them, she found herself idly wondering if such a thing beyond alliance or friendship would have worked with any of them. A pleasant warmth spread through her as the images came unbidden, until Heartseeker came to mind. The heat within her flared, and she nearly fell over in surprise, being forced to brace her hand against the wall.

She looked up at herself and caught her own blue eyes in shock, and quickly shook the image from her head as she fought down the bodily desire to begin panting. "What the fuck was _that_?" She then glared back at her reflection and grumbled, "Okay..._ice_ cold shower it is."

* * *

After freezing the disturbing images away, Samus emerged, fully-dressed in her Zero suit, into the living area of the home. She noted that even with the days on Aether being nearly thirty hours long, the day had seemed to pass very quickly. Aether's dual moons dominated the sky, one massive, the other tiny. Truthfully, she was exhausted, but willed herself to stay awake until Heartseeker arrived.

No sooner had she thought this then a loud familiar screech could be heard from outside. Fearing danger, Samus activated her Varia suit and rushed outside, scanning the sky. She beheld the sight of her charge approaching from the plains of Agon, but she was forced to still her reaction as her combat reflexes nearly caused her to fire upon him, mistaking him for Ridley. Instead, she somersaulted off of the deck and onto the obsidian sand, waiting for Heartseeker to land.

She watched as he circled a few times before nosing down, and she could already tell what was going to happen. He was approaching too fast and hadn't bled enough of his speed away, and just like she predicted...

*THUD*

...he crashed.

The charcoal-black sand seemed to explode ahead of the crash site, and Samus rushed over to find that thankfully, other than perhaps a bruised ego, Heartseeker was fine.

With a smirk, she allowed her Varia suit to recede as she quipped, "Gotta work on that landing a little more."

He stood and shook his body off, covering Samus in the black sand as he nodded. "Yeah. They taught me how to get _off_ the ground, but not how to get back _on_ it." He then looked to her and smiled sheepishly. "Heh...oops."

Samus glared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and shaking the sand out of her hair. After a quick brush-down of her body, she deemed herself clean enough not to need another shower, so she jerked her head towards the beach house behind her. "C'mon, let's get some rest."

Heartseeker nodded and followed quietly as the two of them bounded onto the deck and strode into the house itself.

She led him through the building until they came to the sleeping quarters, which was much larger than Samus had figured was necessary, but she wasn't complaining. It meant that there was room for Heartseeker to comfortably sleep as well, as he didn't seem to have a problem with sleeping on the floor.

Samus opted not to wear her Zero suit's footwear to bed, so she took a seat on the bed and mentally focused for a moment until she felt the free air caressing her bare feet. She squinted in thought for a moment.

_'Well, we _are_ technically on vacation...'_

She focused once more on something she'd only done once before with her Zero suit, and felt as it receded further, leaving her in a loose-fitting pair of short, silky blue shorts and a brassiere-like piece of clothing to preserve modesty. She sighed as she felt the cool air of night kissing her skin and opened her eyes to see Heartseeker staring at her.

A few moments of silence passed before she raised her eyebrow curiously. "What?"

He shook his head, seemingly coming out of his own thoughts, before coughing nervously. "S-sorry. It's just...I've always wondered what you looked like under that Zero suit of yours."

For a normal human, the comment would have been lewd, but Samus knew Heartseeker better than that. She was pretty sure that for him, it was completely innocent...pretty sure. She just shrugged as she pushed herself back on the bed and laid against the soft pillows, filled with something that smelled pleasant. "Well now you know. As you can see, there's not much to it. Humans are pretty simple by comparison to other species in the cosmos."

"I wasn't referring to just the human form, Samus." he replied softly. "I was referring specifically to you." He laid down on the floor beside the bed itself, keeping a respectful distance between him and Samus. "You look...good." The comment caught her a little off-guard, but before she could respond, he let his head drop onto his crossed arms and muttered, "Goodnight, Samus."

Again, thoughts began to run rampant through her head. _'__I look good? What does he mean by that? Does that mean he...nah, that's impossible.'_ Samus mentally berated herself for thinking such strange things. _'__You're the Hunter, Samus. Stop acting like some flustered little teenage girl. He's a male of a different species and he said you look good. Not attractive, sexy, or pretty, just good. It doesn't mean anything. Even _I_ can look at _him_ and say he looks nice too.'_ She turned her head to look down at Heartseeker, his eyes having dimmed a bit as his vision had waned, seeing as how he had no eyelids to close his eyes with. Samus could admit he looked cute curled up like that. Samus could even admit to herself that as a person, he was very interesting. That didn't mean anything of course...even a complete stranger could compliment someone.

Right?

The thoughts were beginning to weigh on her mind, and she could tell already it was just going to stress her out, so she shoved the troubling train of thought away and laid her head back on the pillow as she slipped under the sheets and pulled them to rest just under chest. She idly ran a finger over a large puncture wound scar above her left breast, and sighed as she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Heart. Sleep well." she whispered to her companion, opting to ignore her foolish line of thought before it drove her mad.


End file.
